Country ZEST & Style Spring 2024 Edition

HIGH ACRE FARM

THE PLAINS, VIRGINIA

263 acres between Middleburg and The Plains | c. 1909 brick Georgian main residence | Gorgeous millwork & fine finishes | 7 fireplaces | 4 bedrooms

Lovely rolling and elevated land with mountain views | Mix of open usable land and mature woods | Extensive stone walls, notable formal garden & terraces 3 tenant houses and multiple farm buildings

$6,500,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

helen MacMahon 540.454.1930

ATOKA STORE

MARSHALL, VIRGINIA

Property has been a landmark for community for decades | Major frontage on Route 50 & Atoka Rd | Commercial kitchen, beer cooler, grocery items, pizza oven, in store seating | Potential to be very lucrative | Property also improved by older home, old gas station has been renovated for potential office space or storage & stone spring house 2 lots with commercial village zoning

$2,700,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

UPPERVILLE LAND

UPPERVILLE, VIRGINIA

Excellent Loudoun County location minutes to Upperville and Middleburg | Surrounded by large properties all mostly in conservation easement | Land is gently rolling, stone walls, mountain views, mature woods and decent pasture | 4-bedroom perc site and an existing well

$1,195,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

ROAD

MARSHALL, VIRGINIA

368 acres rolling acres with several ponds | Located at the corner of Hume Rd and Dixons Mill Rd, in the beautiful Crest Hill Valley | Parcel has the potential to be subdivided into 12 small lots with one remaining large lot | Conservation easement potential could be pursued for the conservation buyer Just minutes from I-66 and the Town of Marshall, VA | The parcel is presently used for agriculture but has several options for potential use | Lengthy road frontage on Hume Rd and Dixons Mill Rd | Views abound both mountain and pastoral $5,520,000

lynn Wiley 540.454.1527 HUME

CLIFF MILLS ROAD

WARRENTON, VIRGINIA

118.49 acres, gently rolling land, mature woods, ample pasture | Spring fed stocked pond, creeks & mountain views | Residence built in 1958, remodeled in 2020, brick and frame exterior, 3 BR, 1 1/2 BA, fireplace, hardwood floors, stainless steal appliances | 7 stall barn with office/apartment w/full bath, 60 x 90 indoor arena, 90 x 120 outdoor arena & detached 2-bay garage which can handle 4 plus vehicles Property is fenced and cross fenced Private but minutes to town $2,550,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

NEW MOUNTAIN ROAD

ALDIE, VIRGINIA

60 wooded acres on top of a ridge | In conservation easement, trails throughout, elevated building sites, 1500 ft of frontage on Little River 25 minutes to Dulles, close to Aldie and Route 50 $990,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

SOUTHPAW PLACE

LEESBURG, VIRGINIA

Custom built brick home with over 6,000 sq ft, built in 2006 5 BR, 4 1/2 BA, 2 FP, oversized 3 car garage High ceilings, cherry floors & cabinets, gourmet kitchen | 50.72 acres improved by 6 stall barn, w/tack room, feed room & large hay loft 3 run-in sheds (2 have water hydrants), 7 board fenced paddocks, full size riding ring, trails throughout the property Turn key equestrian facility Farm office building has 2 oversized garage doors | Stone terrace with fire pit Property includes large stocked spring fed pond & frontage on Goose Creek $3,965,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

105 REED STREET

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

Beautiful top quality 4 bedroom, 4 1/2 bath home in the town of Middleburg Built in 2019 by highly respected local builder, is in turn key condition and has top of the line finishes throughout | Gourmet kitchen with center island includes Wolf range, Subzero refrigerator and Miele dishwasher Large family room with fireplace, 9 ft ceilings, lovely mill work and plantation shutters Large front porch and rear deck | Detached garage and private parking in rear | High speed internet and walking distance to all the features of town $1,845,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

SAINT LOUIS ROAD

PURCELLVILLE, VIRGINIA

Hard to find 9.58 acres between Middleburg and Purcellville | Mountain views, woods and pasture with frontage on Beaverdam Creek

$600,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

LINNEA SHERMAN: A New Face At Buchanan Hall Market

‟A tidbit most people don’t know. I’m named after the famous Swedish biologist Carolus Linnaeus. It feels serendipitous that I became a conservationist.”

-Linnea Sherman

By Vicky Moon

When the Buchanan Hall Farmer’s Market opens at 4:30 p.m. on May 15 in Upperville, be sure to welcome Linnea Sherman as the new market manager and administrator.

“I’m responsible for the back-end administration of the market,” she told Country ZEST recently. “This includes coordinating with vendors, handling contracts, scheduling, communicating about the market, pursuing grants to support market operations, and more.”

Linnea said she’s been inspired to see people come together not just to buy produce, but to spend time with one another. “Additionally, as a conservationist/environmentalist, I’m excited to help further the hall’s mission of supporting local farmers and businesses.”

While growing up in the Shenandoah Valley, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Roanoke College. In addition, at the University of Oxford in Great Britain, she earned a Masters degree in Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management .

Currently living in Nokesville with her husband, Austin Stewart, and their two dogs, they’re gradually renovating a 19th century home. She’s fond of landscaping with native plants. She also works for the Northern Virginia Regional Commission as Regional Trails Coordinator.

At the farmer’s market she’s exploring “How to better collect data about how the market is doing, how many people are visiting and from where, and so on.”

The objective is to improve how to communicate about the market’s reach as well as improve operations. “We’re also planning a ‘Conservation Week’ this season and to engage local non-profits, businesses, and other organizations involved in conservation in the region.

“One of the biggest challenges we’re working on at present is finding and applying for grant funds to make the market financially sustainable,” Linnea added. “The planning and scheduling process is a bit daunting as well as there are many pieces that must fit together to ensure the markets are fun and offer a consistent experience for visitors.”

And most of all, she said, “Yes, we’re excited to collaborate with local bands so market-goers can enjoy music throughout the season.

“I’m enthusiastic to be a part of the market and Buchanan Hall team. It’s an excellent group of people and I’ll learn a lot. I ‘m looking forward to meeting more members of the community.”

And, P.S. Not to worry, the ever-effervescent Montana Lanier Ruffner will still be around as Director of Operations.

Join us at Long Branch Historic House and Farm as the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Dean & Director, Dr Derek Aday, shares the many ways VIMS is involved in the local seafood you enjoy, Virginia’s preparedness for flooding and storm events, and healthier waterways in Virginia and around the globe.

Register here (required) or call Crystal Booker at VIMS 804.684.7099

Long Branch Ln, Boyce, VA 22620

April 18th, 2024

Long Branch Historic House and Home 6pm reception, 6:30pm presentation

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 798 Middleburg, Virginia 20118

PHONE: 410-570-8447

Editor:

Leonard Shapiro badgerlen@aol.com

Art Director

Meredith Hancock

Hancock Media

Contributing Photographers:

Doug Gehlsen

Crowell Hadden

Sarah Huntington

Nancy Kleck

Douglas Lees

Camden Littleton

Karen Monroe

Tiffany Dillon Keen

Donna Strama

Official Fine Artist

Linda Volrath

Contributing Writers:

Drew Babb

Emma Boyce

Sean Clancy

Denis Cotter

Philip Dudley

Mike du Pont

Valerie Archibald Embrey

Jimmy Hatcher

Laura Longley

Hunt Lyman

M.J. McAteer

Joe Motheral

Jodi Nash

Chip Newcombe

Tom Northrup

Ali Patusky

Melissa Phipps

Pat Reilly

Linda Roberts

John E. Ross

Constance Chatfield-Taylor

John Sherman

Peyton Tochterman

John Toler

Leslie VanSant

Louisa Woodville

For advertising inquiries, contact: Leonard Shapiro at badgerlen@aol.com or 410-570-8447

ON THE COVER

Contemporary slang suggests that “spicy” can be employed to characterize an individual as energetic or spirited. The individuals featured on our Spring cover were undeniably full of life! Capturing their photographs and inviting them to toss popcorn was definitely over the top. Thank you to the DocWeek Middleburg Board of Directors for making this issue’s cover “spicey!” to say the least, and here’s hoping the annual documentary film event May 14-18 is another huge success.

/ Country Zest and Style / @countryzestandstyle / @countryzestand1 www.countryzestandstyle.com

of NOTE

BE ON THE LOOKOUT through this issue of for the hummingbird.

He appears in two ads and the first two readers to find him (one each) will receive a gift from THE RED TRUCK Rural Bakery, with locations in Warrenton and Marshall. Send your reply to badgerlen@aol.com

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

By Leonard Shapiro

It’s springtime in our glorious corner of the planet, a time for soon-tobloom buds, sleek horses on the move, outdoor markets sprouting all around and so much more to be covered in our latest edition of ZEST.

For history lovers, we’ve got several fabulous features this month. John Toler has a story on a Fauquier County woman who, nearly 100 years ago, hoped to become the first of her gender to duplicate Charles Lindbergh’s historic first non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic from New York City to Paris in 1927. The result? Read for yourself!

John E. Ross takes a look at the efforts of a local railroad enthusiast who has lovingly restored the historic train station in Boyce to its old glory. And Denis Cotter has a lovely story remembering the late Rev. Richard Peard, the beloved long-time rector at Trinity Church in Upperville who died at age 50 in 1991.

If it’s the arts that intrigue you, our cover photo and related stories focus on the dedicated folks who put on what is becoming one of my favorite events of the year. That would be DocWeek Middleburg, founded by long-time film buff Tom Foster, a series of five fabulous documentaries—many of them awardwinners—screened outdoors over five nights at the Middleburg Community Center from May 14-18. We’ve profiled two talented local artists—Anne Rowland by Laura Longley and Karen Oliver by Joe Motheral. As for music, who better than Peyton Tochterman, a talented musician himself as well as a fabulous Hill School educator, to do a story on the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra’s recent young artists concert and competition.

If it’s April and May, there’s plenty of horsey stuff too, including a feature on highly-regarded steeplechase trainer Julie Gomena by Chip Newcomb and Vicky Moon’s sweet story on Valerie Embry, the long time, now retired secretary of the iconic Upperville Colt & Horse Show.

And a quick note: On Friday, April 26 at 11 a.m., the public is invited to a free Arbor Day program at the horse show grounds on Route 50 to see and hear about the magnificent trees that have graced this historic venue for 200-plus years.

There’s plenty more must-read material spread throughout our information, photo and fun-filled pages, all the better to put an extra shot of ZEST into your springtime reading.

Leonard Shapiro

410-570-8447

Badgerlen@aol.com

Doug Gehlsen and Karen Monroe of Middleburg Photo

Photo by Santa Ana Photography. This is what we call ZEST and Style, Melanie Watson in a champagne dress at the recent Dancing With The Middleburg Stars fundraiser at the Middleburg Community Center

107 acres

Marshall – Magnificent estate of approximately

$9,975,000

107 gorgeous acres in the heart of Virginia’s renowned horse country. 17,800 SF of exquisite living space and spectacular equestrian facilities which include an Olympic sized Outdoor Arena, a fabulous 12 stall Stable, 15 lush paddocks and riding trails throughout. Also includes a lovely Guest Cottage and Living Quarters for staff. Unparalleled in its beauty and charm, Red Bridge simply cannot be replicated anywhere.

103+ acres

$2,700,000

The Plains – Gorgeous property (in 2 parcels) in ideal location. Main residence features open floor plan, high ceilings, wood flooring. Lush woodlands, board fenced pastures and spring fed pond all add to the story book setting.

.46 acres

$1,295,000

Warrenton, Historic District – A beautiful example of Greek Revival style architecture. Stunning 3 level brick home, amidst mature trees, spectacular perennial gardens and lovely stone walkways.

30 acres

$5,900,000

Middleburg – This wonderful, Tuscan-inspired estate has an “Old World” warmth that is welcoming and elegant in its simplicity. 5 BRs, 8 1/2 BAs, 8 fireplaces, heated pool & Jacuzzi. guest house, center aisle stable and run-ins.

.16 acres

$975,000

Middleburg – 2,850 SF of outstanding space in 2 separate units, attractive offices, conference rooms with large windows, Hard Wood floors, dedicated private parking. Excellent condition, prime location.

Si Bunting Offers A Unique Perspective on George Marshall

In “The Making of a Leader,” Josiah Bunting focuses closely on the experiences that made Marshall ready for the Herculean tasks he would later confront, providing invaluable, often vivid evidence of a young man slowly, sometimes painfully finding his skill as a logistician, organizational genius, and shrewd political thinker.

Paul A. Levengood, president of the George C. Marshall Foundation

Josiah Bunting III, fondly known to his Middleburg area friends and neighbors as Si, has written “THE MAKING OF A LEADER:

The Formative Years of George C. Marshall.” Published by Knopf in midMarch, it’s an illuminating portrait after 15 years of research and writing on one of the greatest leaders of modern American history, Bunting offers a compilation of the essential lessons Marshall’s formative years can offer to current and future leaders.

Bunting is an author, educator, and military historian. A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and former Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, he served as a major in the U.S. Army and later as the superintendent of VMI. Bunting paints a psychological portrait that syncs with Marshall’s experiences, those moments in his young life that made him the formidable Army Chief of Staff and the widely-regarded diplomat he became.

II, he set Europe on the postwar path to recovery with the plan that bears his name and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953.

With documents and notes spread out all around his home office, Bunting looked beyond Marshall’s accomplishments for which he has been most often remembered. The focus here is all about the decisive moments that preceded them. It’s a detailed look at the mettle of Marshall’s character, from his arrival as a cadet at VMI and his Fort Leavenworth days to his instructive time as John J. Pershing’s aide-decamp and his critical experiences during World War I.

Marshall’s accomplishments are well known. After

Swing into Spring

A former Middleburg area neighbor who now lives in Newport, Rhode Island, Bunting highlights the importance of Marshall’s activity between the wars, when he led “the single most influential period of military education” at Fort Benning, eventually culminating in his appointment as Army Chief of

Photo by Kim Fuller Josiah Bunting III

Mickey Bettis Remains a Safeway Staple

By Leslie VanSant

In 1985, “Back to the Future” was tops at the box office. Spend a Buck won the Kentucky Derby. Prince Saran took the Virginia Gold Cup, the first ever to win on the new course at Great Meadow. Gorbachev took over the Soviet Union. The Cosby Show and Murder She Wrote were the No. 1 shows on television. And of course, everyone wanted to know, “Where’s the beef?”

That same year, a young local man, Mickey Bettis, started working at the Middleburg Safeway. Now, some 38 years later, you can still find him on the job there most mornings.

“I had no idea I’d be here this long,” he said. “But I’ve met so many nice, caring people along the way.”

At th e S pa c e at G r a c e

6507 Main Street The Plains, VA 20198 www.gracetheplains.org

Sunday, April 14th 5:00 PM

Grace Church Concert Series

Amit Peled

(music for cello and piano by American composers)

Praised by The Strad magazine and The New York Times, internationally renowned cellist Amit Peled is acclaimed as one of the most exciting and virtu

osic instrumentalists on the concert stage today

TICKETS: https://www.gracetheplains.org/grace-church-concert-series

Friday, April 19th 7:00 PM

Grace Church Concert Series

Lyyra

Mickey Bettis was recently honored by the Middleburg Business and Professional Association as the 2023 Front Line Employee of the Year.

Bettis was born and raised in Fauquier County and attended Middleburg Elementary, Coleman Middle School and graduated from Fauquier High School in 1986. He started working at Safeway during his senior year. Over his career, he’s held just about every position and worked in every department. He started as a courtesy clerk, bagging and loading groceries into people’s cars. Then he trained to be a checker.

At the time, checkers worked on machines much closer to a typewriter than the current scanners. “You moved the conveyor belt with your left knee, your right hand was on the keys. You had to learn math, and properly count back change for the customers.”

Everyone in Middleburg knows you always run into someone you know at the Safeway. For Bettis, familiarity with the customers was a perk of the job, either regulars who shopped weekly or visits by famous people.

One day, a woman came into the store with a big fur coat, dark glasses and a bodyguard. She came into his line to check out her groceries. When handing back her change, Bettis said, “Thank you Ms. Taylor, have a nice evening.” Elizabeth Taylor and her husband, John Warner, lived at Atoka Farm and were both so kind. Warner once tried to tip Bettis after he put groceries into the Senator’s car.

“I had to refuse because we were not to accept tips.”

Other notable shoppers include many NFL stars. “Even though I love my 49ers, it was still exciting to meet Redskins (now Commanders) Mark Moseley, Charles Mann, and Dexter Manley when they were here for the Christmas parade.”

Safeway used to have a float in the Christmas Parade.

“In my first year, we built the float at a friend’s house. It was themed Winter Wonderland,” he said. Other years, the Safeway delivery truck drove the parade route with staff walking alongside and waving. Halloween is another big day and Bettis has enjoyed handing out candy to trick-or-treaters and seeing all the costumes.

Over his nearly four decades, many things have changed at Safeway. There wasn’t always a pharmacy in the store. The current pharmacy used to be the wine area. In 1985, avocado was more likely the color of your kitchen, not something on your grocery list. There was no organic section.

But Mickey Bettis was there. Then and now.

(with special guests the Mars Smith Duo)

Lyyra is the brand new vocal ensemble from the VOCES8 Foundation, and features six outstanding women drawn from across the US. On this, guests, the Mars Smith duo (internationally acVOCES8, Paul Smith, piano).

TICKETS: https://www.gracetheplains.org/grace-church-concert-series

Sunday, April 28th 5:00 PM

Paragon Philharmonia with Miriam Burns

Musical Portraits

Take a musical

TICKETS: https://www.paragonphilharmonia.org/

journey from New York City to Knoxville and Naples with Maestra Miriam Burns and the musicians of Paragon Philharmonia at our

The Fabric of the Community, In UPS Brown

By Ali Patusky

Often lovingly referred to as “the man in brown” by those who know him, Michael “Mike” Elliot has been delivering packages in the Middleburg area for the United Parcel Service (UPS) for nearly a quarter of a century.

Living in Virginia “off and on” his whole life, Mike settled in Northern Virginia in the mid-1980s. His delivery days over the last 24 years often start bright and early at five in the morning, when he leaves his home in Manassas to “pick up the truck” in Chantilly. From there, he begins his route.

His area spans from Aldie to the town of Middleburg and even out the Atoka Road. He often works 14-15 hour days, five days a week. It’s “Monday through Friday. I’m dead on Saturday,” he said with a laugh.

Despite all that time behind the wheel, it’s hardly a lonely gig, even though he usually can’t “hear his phone ringing over the sound of the diesel truck” when he’s driving. The countless daily face-to-face interactions with the people of the community are what he loves most about the job.

His favorite part is “the people, talking to people, the people I’ve met. Friends I’ve met,” he said. “There’s a lot of good people out here.”

And those people definitely adore him, too. Mike can be found many afternoons at Highcliffe Clothiers on Washington Street in Middleburg, popping into the shop between deliveries to ease back on to a comfy blue chair and catch up with owner Mark Metzger. They’ve known each other for a dozen years and Metzger spoke enthusiastically about Mike’s “winsome personality.”

“He’s a nice man,” Metzger said. “He delivers my packages, picks them up. If I need a favor, an early pickup, an early drop off, he’s willing to do those things for me, which is a great thing. We expect to see him every day. It’s just one of those things when you’re a business owner, just like you take care of your employees, you take care of Mike, he takes care of you.”

Metzger added that Mike is even a friend to the four-legged friends he encounters on his deliveries. “He’s always got a little treat for the dogs,” he said. “They always know when his truck comes in.”

Mike recently and most appropriately received the “2023 Power of One Award” from the Middleburg Business & Professional Association for his exceptional services.

Punkin Lee, the long-time head of the MBPA and the owner of Journeyman Saddlers on Federal St., also mentioned Mike’s warm personality and exceptional professional service.

“He can bring you a surprise gift, the part you ordered, or retail deliveries,” she said. “He knows where he can go if he comes to a store and they’ve closed or they’ve had an emergency and nobody’s there. He is so helpful and so allknowing.”

Clearly, Mike Elliott is far more than just a delivery guy. He’s also a friend to one and all. As Metzger said, he’s “part of the fabric of the community.”

Photo by Ali Patusky UPS driver Mike Elliott

SATURDAY, MAY 11

THEATER & DANCE!

south madison st & federal st middleburg va

more than 35+ exhibitors on s. madison & w. federal streets foxes on the fence exhibit art can help street food & wine & beer gardens activities for kids

Talkin’ Trash: The 2023 Foxcroft Road Pig Pen Awards

By William H. McCormick

The year 2023 was the 22nd consecutive year of volunteer action to control trash on the Foxcroft Road.

I’ve been conducting this survey as a single observer. The numbers noted are somewhat understated because there must be other individuals who pick up trash on these roads. In 2023, I retrieved 925 individual pieces, and the 22-year total has been 23,314 pieces.

The course of collection is a 4.6-mile route of dirt and hard road that includes portions of Polecat Hill Road (Rt. 696), Foxcroft Road (Rt. 626), Goodstone Road (Rt. 744) and Millville Road (Rt. 743).

SUMMARY OF TRASH CATEGORIES:

The top twelve contributors ranked by single numbers and percentages of total trash, are:

1. Miscellaneous: 117 (13%) (excluding generic cups/bottles, paper towels/ napkins and car parts)

2. AB InBev: 81 (9%)

3. Generic Cups and Bottles: 67 (7%)

4. Modelo: 65 (7%)

5. Bags, Plastic and Paper: 58 (6%)

6. Paper Towels and Napkins: 36 (4%)

7. Miller/Coor’s: 47 (5%)

8. Coca Cola: 35 (4%)

9. 7-11: 38 (4%)

10. Corona: 26 (3%)

11. Pepsico: 18 (2%)

12. Car Parts: 12 (1%)

The total number of 2023 trash items was 925. The average for the preceding fifteen years was 1,157. Last year, total trash items were a bit lower than average. Our biggest recent year was 2018 with 1377 pieces. These totals show no trend, but rather

the intractability of the roadside trash problem.

The solution? It depends on multi-layered action by all the principles, including consciousness raising, corporate responsibility, individual and state participation, recycling, enforcement of existing laws, and the alluring goal of litter free country roads.

Some categories have dramatically changed production levels. Tobacco products have fallen to 2% of the total from as high as 9% in 2013. Foodlike edibles have fallen to 4% of the total from 9% in 2013. Labeled bottles and cans currently have a multiyear presence of 44%, as does Miscellaneous trash at 26%.

Fast food is relatively lower than in past years with McDonald’s (22) falling and 7-11 (38) taking up the slack. Both Coca Cola (35) and Pepsico (18) are down significantly from years past compared to AB InBev (81) or 9% of the total. Budweiser (32) and Bud Light (28) are AB InBev’s most prominent individual products. SAB Miller (47) trails its main competitors, while Modelo (65) has nearly doubled its production in the past three years to account for 7% of total trash.

Picking up road trash is a convenient opportunity to reaffirm one’s faith in society. To paraphrase Steven Dubner of National Public Radio, “Take care of your road, and, if you can, take care of somebody else’s road too.”

Dr. Willie McCormick is a long-time Middleburg area veterinarian and trash collector, extraordinaire.

Steeplechase & Flat Racing Partnerships

Racehorse Sales

RIVERDEE STABLE & CLANCY BLOODSTOCK

Anne & Sean Clancy Middleburg, VA

Anne 917-446-2848 | akclancy@riverdee.net

Sean 302-545-7713 | sean@ thisishorseracing.com www.riverdeestable.com

APRIL 20TH, 2024 AT 9:00AM TRACTORS, LAWN MOWERS, TRAILERS, VEHICLES, HAY EQUIPMENT, LIVESTOCK ITEMS, FENCING, STONE, 3PT HITCHIMPLEMENTS,HANDTOOLS,ANTIQUES,YOUNAMEIT!

DROP-OFF SCHEDULE: APRIL 13TH- APRIL 18TH PREVIEW DAY: APRIL 19TH 9:00AM- 7:00PM

CONTACT US ABOUT CONSIGNMENTS YOU PLAN ON BRINGING!

MARSHALL FEEDER CATTLE ASSOCIATION STATE GRADED FEEDER CATTLE SALE

2ND FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH

MARSHALL SALE BARN  – 10:30AM

TAKE IN THURSDAY BEFORE 7:00AM-3:00PM

FRIDAY, APRIL 12TH

FRIDAY, APRIL 26TH

Coastal Mission Named Top West Virginia Horse

CFRIDAY, MAY 10TH

FRIDAY, MAY 24TH

Check us out on FB or our website at http://www.FauquierLivestockExchange.com

By Bill Cauley

oleswood Farm’s Coastal Mission took home some impressive honors during the West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s annual dinner on Sunday, March 10, at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.

Coastal Mission, a 4-year-old gelding owned and trained by Jeff Runco of Charles Town’s Coleswood Farms, was named West Virginia-Bred Horse of the Year. He was also named Champion Older. Listed as roan colored, he was foaled March 24, 2019 and is by Great Notion out of Smart Crowd by Crowd Pleaser.

With Arnaldo Bocachica aboard as jockey, Coastal Mission had a huge win in the Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders’ Classic Stakes race at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races and Slots on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. He covered the 1 1/8 mile distance in 1:53.49, earning $135,000. His lifetime earnings are now listed at $595, 653,

Coastal Mission finished with a 5 3/4-length victory over Muad’dib. Runco trained Muad’dib as well. Taylor Mountain Farms’ (West Virginia) Late In The Game finished third.

While Coastal Mission’s effort was the highlight of the evening, the WVTBA also paid tribute to three horsemen who died in 2023. Dennis Bybee, John Casey and John McKee posthumously received the Sam Huff Award, named after the late Sam Huff.

An NFL Hall of Famer whose playing career included stints with the New York Giants and Washington Redskins (now Commanders), Huff was well-known in West Virginia horseracing circles and is credited with being the primary driving force in saving the horse racing industry in West Virginia. He also was a longtime Middleburg resident.

There were other major awards handed out at the annual dinner. Direct the Cat was named Champion 2-year-old Filly. Jubawithatwist earned Champion 2-year-old Colt.

Great Spirit and Jubaslilballerina were jointly named Champion 3-year-old Fillies.

Little Roo Roo, owned by Michael E. Jones, grandson of the late Sylvia Rideout Bishop (the first nationally-licensed African-American female horse trainer) , was named Champion 3-year-old Colt and Male Sprinter of the Year. Someday is Today won Champion Older Filly-Mare honors.

\WVTBA honored Stryda as Female Sprinter of the Year. Smart Crowd, owned by Susan Runco, was named Broodmare of the Year. Sire of the Year honors went to Juba. McKee was posthumously named Breeder of the Year.

Mark your calendars now for The West Virginia Breeders Classics XXXVIII on Saturday, October 12th at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.

Photo by Coady Photography Coastal Mission won the $300,000 Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders Classic en route to being named West Virginia-bred horse of the year in 2023. He recently finished fourth in the $150,000 Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct in his seasonal debut for trainer Jeff Runco.

Valerie Embrey: A SHOW SECRETARY FOR THE AGES

“My interests have always been horses, gardening, needlepoint.” –Valerie Embrey

By Vicky Moon

Valerie Ann Archibald Embrey was secretary of the Upperville Colt & Horse Show from 19761987. She came to the job after Mrs. A. C. (Theo) Randolph, a great force behind the show who lived and owned Oakley adjacent to the grounds, called Valerie and, after a visit, offered her the job of show secretary.

“I’d previously worked at The Hill School for five years and had taken time away from work to start my family,” Valerie said, adding that she started immediately and worked from her home nearby.

Her first year, the secretary’s stand was located in the lower section under the judges and annoucers stand at the side of the main ring. She cleaned out old boxes filled with rider numbers, folded chairs and tables along with cobwebs, spiders and bugs. And then, “To my horror, out slithered a humongous black snake and made his way up the closest oak tree in the main ring. As I was shrieking, Tommy Stokes’ comment was, ‘At least you won’t have to worry about mice.’”

Valerie described her responsibilities as “enormous.” Each April, she began with the printing of the prize list which

was then sent to 3,000 on a mailing list. It’s now online and totally digital. Entries closed May 1 and then the program went to print with many entries, advertisements, sponsors, and photos of past winners the last week in May.

There were and still are: contracts to all officials such as judges, stewards, ring personnel, jump crew, course designers and announcers along with arrangements for hotels and housing. And, add to this: concession contracts for shops and food stands and ordering all the ribbons, trophies, blankets, and other prizes. Prize money checks were hand-typed for all winners and given to the treasurer to sign.

Valerie came to her horse interests at birth. She was born in the horse haven of Newmarket, England into a multigenerational family of jockeys, trainers and blood stock agents.

“My maternal great grandfather, George Blackwell, trained Rock Sand, the sire of the dam of Man o’ War. He also was one of the few trainers of winners of the English Triple Crown: Derby, 2000 Guineas, St Leger plus the Aintree Grand National. That is why it was such an honor. Very few trainers have achieved this. My paternal grandfather, George

Photo by Howard Allen Valerie Embrey on Jane Clark’s Grey Fox circa June, 1959.

Archibald, was leading jockey in England, Spain, and Germany. He rode horses for three kings and was known as “El Jockey de los tres reyes” (jockey of the three kings – King Oppenheimer, King Alphonso and King George VI). He was also successful in the U.S., winning the Kentucky Derby in 1911 aboard Meridian. He died in 1927 at the age of 37 after riding five horses that day in Newmarket.”

In 1952, Paul Mellon, who owned Rokeby, a large Thoroughbred horse farm in Upperville, asked her father, George William Archibald, to escort horses he had purchased at the horse sales in Newmarket back to the U.S. They all traveled via airplane, a novelty at the time and now a standard mode of transportation.

“My father was an American citizen, so he rented a house in Middleburg. We waited for another year for our immigration to be confirmed,” Valerie recalled. “Our sponsor was William Haggin Perry. I went to Middleburg Elementary School and graduated from Loudoun County High School in Leesburg. I attended Chowan University in North Carolina and graduated from Trinity College in Washington, D.C.

Valerie rode in the Middleburg Orange County Pony Club, horse shows, and hunted with the Middleburg Hunt. “I was lucky being tiny (4-foot11 at age 18) and rode ponies for Stephen and Jane Clark, Dorothy Lee and Forrest and Ethel Mars in Middleburg,” she said.

She also galloped race horses at the Middleburg Training Track, Belmont and Saratoga for her father.

THE 171ST UPPERVILLE COLT & HORSE SHOW

June 3-9

Grafton & Salem showgrounds

www.upperville.com

This led to another job at age 15 when Forrest Mars asked her to teach riding and swimming to his grandchildren for three years at his Middleburg area estate, Marland. Her riding experiences included stints with Wilhemina Waller, who owned Tanrackin Farm in Bedford Hills, N.Y., and with Mikey and Dot Smithwick one summer in Old Westbury, Long Island. “I was so lucky being farmed out as free help and enjoyed every minute,” she said.

As secretary of the show, Valerie and others since, then prepared all the signage for ringside and grandstand parking and the Jumper Classic.

Every year, Valerie hired young girls to help in the

office--Walker Richardson, Nelia Niemann, Missy Sperow, Blake Sperow, Mary Hunter Sperow to name a few. “I think the funniest year was when Pimm’s helped sponsor the Jumper Classic and we served Pimm’s Cup cocktails to throngs of thousands on the hill,” Valerie said. “I’m sure many had bad hangovers the next day.

“The biggest challenge before computers was getting the results recorded and sent to the national and state governing bodies within seven days,” she said. “This was of the utmost importance to retain an ‘A’ rating and maintain membership with these groups. To keep an accurate class list was the biggest challenge. I hired a company to computerize the entries in 1983. When I started in 1976, we had under 500 entries. When I resigned after the 1987 show, we had over 1,800.”

“In 1976, the show consisted of A rated Hunter Classes, Juniors, Ponies, Local Hunters, Breeding, Founder’s Cup, and then the Jumper Classic on Sunday. In 1977, a complete section for Jumpers was added. This increased the entries three-fold and made the show what it is today.”

Valerie now lives across the Shenandoah River in Berryville in Clarke County about a 25-minute, 17-mile drive from the show. She follows horse racing, cooks fabulous meals and makes other delectable goodies and visits the show each year. From time to time, she sips a Pimm’s Cup. She was inducted into the Upperville Colt & Horse Show Wall of Honor in 2013.

Photo by Daren Conners. Jonathon Kinchen, New York Racing Association And Fox Sports “Americas Day at the Races” racing analyst with Valerie Embrey.

A Lucky Change of Life for a Man and His Horses

By Leonard Shapiro

Race tracks have always been a breeding ground for heart warming (and breaking) real-life stories someone could hardly make up. Here’s another, in the feel-good category, courtesy of the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) and its annual harness racing meets at Shenandoah Downs in Woodstock.

You want to talk about a change in life? Just ask Steve Wetzel, a long time cattle farmer in the Shenandoah Valley. One rainy day in 2021, he took his then 14-year-old daughter Danielle, a 4-H member, to show a cow at the Shenandoah County Fair. He left the grounds that evening as a man soon to become fully invested in the horse business.

That fateful day three years ago, Wetzel had wandered over from the exhibiting area to the harness track to watch a few races. He was sitting in the nearly empty grandstand when “a lady came around and asked if I wanted to win a horse for a day,” Wetzel recalled. “They had a (VEA) contest going and they drew eight horses out of a hat. If your horse won, you kept the winnings.”

Wetzel’s horse was CC Big Boy Sam, a 5 to 1 long shot. In third place halfway around, Sam rallied for the victory and $2,625 in purse money. It didn’t take long for the check to burn a hole in Wetzel’s pocket.

After the race, he and the trainer, Brian Tomlinson, went back to the barn to tend to Sam and several other horses in the same race. Wetzel will never forget the

great joy he felt that day, and a little pain as well.

As Sam was moving to the front, Wetzel—a big man at 250 pounds—was giddily leaping up and down so much he actually injured his foot and had to wear a padded boot for several weeks. It didn’t matter.

“I had so much adrenaline going,” he said. “Just the excitement of winning the race, then seeing all the horses, being around them. I knew I wanted to be a part of it myself.”

Not long afterward, he was. Using his winnings and a bit more, he soon purchased his first harness horse, Nosey Buggsy, for $6,000, with Tomlinson the trainer.

After years in the cattle business, Wetzel, 59, also decided he wanted to sell the cattle farm and start his own horse operation. He had thriving landscaping and party equipment businesses going, and soon he was stockpiling standardbred horses, now 17 in all.

Tomlinson was having some health issues and Wetzel began going to races at Rosecroft in Prince George’s County and various horse sales, trying to learn (and earn) as much as he could.

At one 2022 sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he had a list of six horses to possibly bid on, but each eventually sold for over $100,000, far more than he was prepared to pay. His wife, Nicole, was there that day and has a thing for sea turtles, he said.

“When she saw a horse named Sea of Life in the sale, she said I ought to try for that one.”

And so he did. He purchased the 7-year-old gelding for $22,000 and he’s the star of the barn. In his last ten races, he’s finished in the money—either first, second or third—every time, including one win.

Last summer, Wetzel purchased a small farm, Lineweaver Acres, in Mauertown, Va., ten minutes from Shenandoah Downs. Its barn is now home to 11 standardbreds and Wetzel is totally hands on. He’s earned his training license and loves to sit in the sulky and drive his horses on the training track he leases from a neighbor, a short trot from the stable.

He and Nicole live a few miles from Lineweaver and she handles the three broodmares they keep there, particularly enamored with caring for the weanlings. She’s also rather lucky. A year after her husband won the own-the-horse-for-a-day contest, Nicole won it, too, but kept the money.

Wetzel’s horses race twice a week at Rosecroft and this summer will compete at Ocean Downs in Ocean City, Md. He’ll be extremely busy over the next two months at Shenandoah Downs, with Saturday/ Sunday races from April 6 to May 19, and a fall meet in September.

“I wouldn’t have gotten into this unless the track was this close to me,” Wetzel said. “It’s a great place to race. The crowds are noisy, real enthusiastic. At this point in my life, you could say it’s a hobby and a business. It does pay its own way, and if that stops, maybe I’ll re-evaluate.”

Then again. Don’t bet on it.

Sea of Life, with driver Todd Warren, finished first and earned $5,000 at Shenandoah Downs on May 7, 2023.

Photo by Leonard Shapiro Steve Wetzel in the barn with Sea of Life.

VIRGINIA HORSE RACING SCHEDULE 2024

Shenandoah Downs Spring Harness Racing Schedule in Woodstock, VA

April 6 - May 19

• Racing every Saturday & Sunday at 1:05 PM

• FREE ADMISSION, FREE PARKING, FAMILY FRIENDLY

• Betting on the Kentucky Derby (May 4) and Preakness (May 18)

(details at shenandoahdowns.com)

NSA Sanctioned Steeplechase Spring Meet Schedule

Sat. April 20 - Middleburg Spring Races at Glenwood Park

Sat. April 27 - Foxfield Spring Races in Charlottesville

Sat. May 4 - Virginia Gold Cup Races at Great Meadow

• Point-to-Point meets take place on 7 different dates in March/April

(details at nationalsteeplechase.com)

Colonial Downs Summer Thoroughbred Racing Schedule in New Kent, VA

July 11 - September 7

• Racing every Thursday, Friday & Saturday

• ”Festival of Racing” Day featuring the Grade 1 Arlington Million - Saturday Aug. 10

• Virginia Derby Day along with a stakes-filled under card - Saturday Sept. 7

(details at colonialdowns.com) virginiahorseracing.com

Heal Thyself Naturally, With Some Help

By Marcia Woolman

In order for nature to thrive, it needs a natural setting, created with open space and conservation easements. Given the space and time to follow its natural course, land will heal itself, water will remain clean, and wildlife habitat and wildlife will flourish.

Land heals by proliferating new growth. Fallow fields are a virtual gold mine for improving land, water and air. In time, trees will sprout to help remove carbon dioxide from the air. Roots will grow deep and soak up heavy rains before the field turns to mud and local streams are filled with sediment, which kills the small invertebrates that provide food to all kinds of fish and little creatures at the bottom of the food chain.

Insects and bugs provide food for all the wild creatures, which then becomes food for larger animals. Fields that are out of sight or along the streams are priceless in their importance in developing a balance in nature.

Fallow fields may seem unsightly, but the same principles apply to all fields that are healthy. Proper annual or semi-annual seeding helps maintain a well-rooted carpet of food that also feeds livestock. So why allow a pasture to become overgrazed with brown spots or weeds?

Pastures where fence rows and wetlands are mowed around or, better yet, fenced off, allow them to return to use their natural or fallow field value. Those areas then turn into a wildlife sanctuary and offer further protection for streams as they control runoff and flooding.

They also allow the growth of native trees that will eventually provide shade and homes for creatures like raccoons, possums, and squirrels.

Woodlands are just one more part of the natural puzzle that exists on land protected as open space. More than simply open fields, open space is the composite of a natural, whole landscape that offers a balanced natural habitat.

As for managed woodlands, that does not mean trees are never cut. Young woods grow faster as they get to use more sunlight and water. These young trees provide food for birds and deer.

For balance, older woods with an abundance of dead trees also are necessary. Ones that hollow out with age become castles for squirrels, raccoons, opossums, piliated woodpeckers, and many others.

When that old tree finally falls, it turns into soil enriched by fungi that has grown on and inside it

over its long lifetime. It gives back everything it took from the earth and returns it enhanced.

Woodlands are home to all manner of diverse wildlife who use it for food, shelter, and security. And trail cutting not only is a wonderful use of the land for human enjoyment, it lets in sunlight and promotes a whole web of life, creating more food and more diversity. It’s up to us to take charge of creating more open space so our children and grandchildren can enjoy what we have now and plan to protect for future generations.

Some 30 years ago as I was fishing in Idaho, I saw an old sign that dangled from the middle of what is known as a “free state fence,” usually a string of wire stretched between two fence posts.

“Fishermen welcome!” it read. “Please leave it like you find it. We are only stewards for our time here. We are taking care of it for the Almighty.”

Going Off the Rails in Hollywood

By Jimmy Hatcher

There was a fellow in Richmond, Virginia in the late 1930s and early ‘40s who rode at the intown Deep Run Hunt Club with my older cousin, Wirt Hatcher.

His name was Scotty Riles and my cousin once said he rode better than everyone. He also preferred to race steeplechase horses and that jockey’s short stirrup position killed his horse show riding chances. Nevertheless, he had great success in the ‘chasing world, including being leading rider one year.

Back then, the MGM studio was filming “National Velvet” starring a teenage Elizabeth Taylor and one of their executives asked Scotty to come out to Hollywood to stand in for her in some of the riding scenes.

Because England was being bombed by Germany during World War II at the time, MGM decided not to film over the Aintree course. Instead, they built a smaller course in California and brought in a number of old show horses to simulate a jumping race. They had the horses and the course, but no jump jockeys.

They asked Scotty to see if he might be able to lure some of his steeplechase jockey colleagues to come out to California and ride in the movie.

Easy-peazy Scotty told them. He then called some of his old pals from the steeplechase circuit, and everything was arranged for about 20 riders to head to California for the filming.

Transporting 20 jump jockeys out west was not the easiest, or smartest move by MGM.  Instead of flying them all out there, a fairly expensive proposition, the studio decided to put them all on a five-day train ride.

Oops!

Actually, it was a grand trip for the jocks, and I suppose some of the passengers who partied with them, as well. But after the filming, the railroad company at first refused to take the jockeys back to the East Coast.

After some high-level bickering between MGM and the railroad people, they finally reached an understanding. The railroad would transport them back, but the jockeys would be placed in the last car and the doors would be locked, preventing them from moving out and about.

Their meals would be brought to them, and then the doors would be locked again. They were not allowed to leave that car until they got back to Virginia. It definitely was not so easy-peazy.

Jimmy Hatcher

Photo Courtesy Wikipedia

IBy Joe Motheral

nstead of employing oils, watercolors or acrylics, artist Karen Oliver prefers paper to produce the colorful collages that set her wonderful work apart.

“I use all kinds of paper,” she said. “On this one called Winter View, I did the snow from cookie wrappers. I use tissue, magazines, newspapers, Japanese rice paper and occasionally special things like wasps nests, papyrus, and sometimes I’ll add a butterfly or moth wing.”

She explained that these are pasted onto a “clay board” covered with Masonite and coated with a certain type of clay. “ To me choosing the paper is no different then mixing the right paint color,” she added. “I look for the appropriate color and texture for the image I’m making.”

Photos by Joe Motheral

A scenic mountain view

Equally impressive is the vivid nature of the colors. Many of her images also project her love of landscapes, florals, and waterscapes. And living near Purcellville gives her access to gorgeous subjects and the opportunity to make them come alive.

Because so much of her work is paper, she does not do her collages in plein air.

“I start with either a sketch or photo I’ve taken,” she said. “I try to share the beauty and grace I see in nature or in ordinary life---representational but not necessarily realism prevails in my work.”

Karen has exhibited her paintings in galleries all over Northern Virginia, including at the Artists in Middleburg facility. Others include Art at the Mill in Millwood, Waterford Fair and Piedmont Regional Art Show and Sale in The Plains. Over the years, she’s won numerous awards.

Her trail to using paper to express herself started with her admiration of Vincent Van Gogh.

“I liked the impressionists,” she said, adding that she began with drawings, water colors and pastels. And then, a long ago art class swayed her toward trying collage and it’s been her passion ever since.

In the past, she’s used pastels and said she’s also been dabbling in other mediums, including watercolor. Still, with her long history in collage, that will remain her

primary focus with an art form that takes her anywhere from six to 20 hours to complete an image.

How does she decide on her next subject?

“I prefer to ‘paint’ what I know working from my own sketches or photos, mostly of things that mean something to me— nature, people, objects I have a history with.

“After roughly sketching the image on the clay board and deciding on the various papers to use, I cut or tear small pieces of paper and affix them with Elmer’s glue and water to create the image. When the picture is finished, I apply several coats of acrylic medium to protect it.”

The term “collage” has its origins in French, meaning to stick together or glue. And collages can be traced back to the invention of paper by China in 200 BC, and then to 10th Century Japan when calligraphers also began using glued paper to create their images.

During the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe, the technique was often on display in Gothic cathedrals. It evolved further with cubist artists George Braque and Pablo Picasso in the 19th and 20th centuries. And now it’s Karen Oliver’s favorite form of art.

Our mission here at The Howard Gardner School is to help bright, creative, non-traditional students use their unique strengths to thrive academically, intellectually, and emotionally.

There is a place where each young person can find their fit - and thrive. The process is a bit like being in a dark room: the hard part isn’t turning on the light, it’s finding the switch.

Details: www.karenoliverfineart.com.

Artist Karen Oliver

It’s Horses and Plenty More for Megan Connolly

“I’m proud of the last 13 years being at the Virginia Gold Cup and International Gold Cup as a color commentator. Will Allison and Al Griffin’s vision for racing excellence is a testament to what happens when strategic ideas and partnerships come together, making for a day of absolute perfection that encompasses pageantry, beauty, exhilarating sport, hospitality, fun and the pure adrenaline of steeplechase racing at its very best.”

By Vicky Moon

Anyone who’s attended the Virginia Gold Cup and the International Gold Cup at Great Meadow in The Plains over the past thirteen years has likely seen Megan Connolly, an “on air” trackside reporter, analyst and color commentator for the telecast of the events.

Megan is a horse girl through and through. She grew up in Manassas and once contemplated fashion design. She did a bit of work as a Radio DJ, and thought it might even lead to something bigger, maybe even Hollywood. After all, her grandfather, Myles Connolly, was an Academy Award nominated writer for iconic producer and director Frank Capra and her oldest brother, Myles Connolly III, is an award-wining IMAX documentary filmmaker.

It didn’t quite work out that way. Shortly after heading off to college, she quit. Truth be told, she was madly in love with horses and has since worked every imaginable racetrack job.

“I speak Spanish,” she said. “It comes in handy.”

Megan’s horse interest started with her father at a very young age. “We’d always watch the Triple Crown on TV,” she recalled, adding that her grandfather was also an avid racing fan and took her to the Bowie racetrack. Her mother also brought her to Virginia point-to-point races.

“I thought it was exciting,” Megan said. “Then we went to the Virginia Gold Cup at the old Broad View course in Warrenton and my fascination grew even more. My full-on passion was set ablaze after attending the Middleburg Spring Races at the incomparable Glenwood Park. I was hooked.”

In Florida, at Gulfstream, Calder and Hialeah, Megan began working on the backside, and then the front side. She learned to break yearlings, foal mares and “muck a lot of stalls.” She studied pedigrees “like nobody’s business” and read The Blood Horse, and Andy Beyer’s column in The Washington Post. She also closely followed the careers of jockeys Kent Desormeaux and Edgar Prado, who went on to Hall of Fame careers.

At the racetrack in Charles Town, West Virginia, she walked hots, learned to put on standing bandages, apply rundown wraps and take the horses to the paddock and saddle them. She went to racehorse auctions in Timonium, Maryland and Belmont, N.Y. and studied the pages of pedigrees.

Before long, she was galloping horses and breaking yearlings, and took a job working for trainer Don Yovanovich at the Middleburg Training Track. She often took his horses over to the nearby swim center, studied the condition book, made entries, and learned “the ins and outs of racing in general.”

Her first day on the job, Don asked if she could ride. She said yes.

“We were on the sandy oval in the morning, and I was part of a set with other riders thinking ‘how cool is this?’ I could not have been happier.”  Megan eventually took some of Don’s horses to the races.

“I was the one-woman show on the road running horses up and down the Mid-Atlantic tracks,” she said. Eventually, she earned a trainer’s license, representing Don at the tracks. “I was absorbed in all aspects of racing.”

Then came the next step. Don, who serves on the board of The Gold Cup, asked Megan to take on her current position on race day at Great Meadow. She works as a paddock analyst, providing insight on each field and offering wagering selections on the top three or four horses. After the race, she interviews winning owners, trainers and jockeys, all of which is broadcast on closed circuit screens at Great Meadow and live streamed on the National Steeplechase Association website.

She also records promos for the races at Great Meadow on social media. She chats with trainers at their barns. Then she edits the video, which plays on race-day during the live broadcast and on the live stream.

“The problem with all of that was none of it was full-time, seasonal only, and I was struggling to meet the financial goals I set for myself,” Megan said. So, she started doing public relations work for all types

Gates open at 10 a.m.

The 99th Annual Virginia Gold Cup

Eight races include the $75,000 Gold Cup Timber

And the new $150,000 Commonwealth Hurdle Stakes

Saturday, May 4, gates open at 10 a.m.

Great Meadow, The Plains, Virginia

Tickets must be purchased in advance

Prices from $50 for general admission, plus parking $100 Packages up to $14,000 for 150 guests in 40X40 tent on Members Hill

Place your bets at an official machine or smartphone app

Hat contest at 2 p.m. and Tailgate contest at 12:45 p.m.

www.vagoldcup.com

of businesses.

She still gets her horse fix by frequently riding for Don and works as a patrol judge at a handful of the local point-to-points. She also serves as a placing judge at the Middleburg Spring Races, hosts the National Steeplechase annual awards gala and was a co-host for the Virginia Steeplechase awards dinner on March 1.

She said she is “too smart to own horses--they cost money.” But she still rides for Don because “I cannot imagine my life without riding daily.”

“She knows her stuff, is reliable and a hell of a hard worker who strives for perfection,” Don Yovanovich said.

Away from her work, Megan and her boyfriend Grug Russell, travel extensively. They explore new countries and cultures and attend musical and ballet performances at the Kennedy Center as well as visiting museums and galleries in Washington.

And oh yes, did we mention Megan Connelly’s full-time job? Since 2012, she’s worked for Oracle, selling technology solutions to the cruise industry.

Megan Connolly and Will Allison, co-chairman of the Virginia Gold Cup.

Mary and Merry Design Are Definitely Win-Win

By Leonard Shapiro

Mary McEachern has a Masters degree in Scottish literature and history from St. Andrews University and once played golf at the famous nearby Old Course with a boyfriend who “made so much fun of me, I never picked up a club again.”

Though she spent two years in Scotland earning that degree, she’s never really used her unique knowledge of the highland rebellions much in her professional life as a graphic designer, art director, business strategist and public relations consultant, among her many other talents.

These days, her very busy business Merry Design is located in an upstairs office at her Marshall residence with a number of local, national and international clients who use her mostly equine-related services.

“I definitely wear a lot of hats,” she said, including a helmet when she’s out riding in the countryside.

Born in Ontario, Canada, she grew up near Cleveland, Ohio, and landed her first job after Scotland working for a cataloging firm in Boston. One of the company ’s principals told her a friend was starting up a new business and needed a graphic designer who knew horses. Would she be interested?

Mary became the fledgling SmartPak’s first creative director, working for entrepreneur owner Becky Minard, a Harvard Business School graduate. That new company created a way to deliver pre-selected, pre-measured, and prepackaged medications and supplements for individual horses.

In 2005, Inc. Magazine named SmartPak Equine the 106th fastest-growing business in America on its annual list of the 500 fastest growing private businesses, the first time an equine company made the list.

Minard became a valued mentor during the four years Mary worked for the company based in Plymouth, Massachusetts. “I traveled a lot (with Minard), and I saw how under-served the equestrian world was in marketing and design,” she said. “It was a great experience.”

There have been many more fabulous experiences, including a stint in Washington D.C. for a major public relations firm and working with clients that included Purina, Anheuser Busch and Tourism Canada. She also was employed by a Boston company, Harbor Sweets, designing their catalogues, packaging, and even the chocolates themselves.

Geraldine Carroll

Charles Carroll IV, MD

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Sunday, April 21, 2024 - 3PM

Join the PSO as we perform four prolific works spanning the Classical to the Modern eras. Opening with Cimarosa’s spirited Il Matrimonio segreto, the centerpiece of our concert is Mendelssohn’s masterfully crafted A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Also on the program are Mozart’s timeless Symphony No. 40 in G minor, and Prokofiev’s “Classical” Symphony No. 1. Get your tickets for April, and ring in the Spring with the wonderful sounds of the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra!

Youth (18 and under) tickets are FREE!

Upcoming PSO Concerts & Events:

PSO Spring Gala: “Symphony in Bloom” Saturday, April 27, 2024

Later, the owner, Ben Strohecker, gave his vice president, Phylis LeBlanc, seed money to start Dark Horse Chocolates. “Phyllis and I spent a summer tasting every combination of chocolate and peanut butter possible to get the “Seabiscuit” just right,” Mary said. “You could say it was a really sweet job.”

Mary also lived and ran her business a number of years from her previous home in Durham, New Hampshire. She had always enjoyed visiting the Virginia countryside and came back to the Middleburg area for three months in 2016 to do some video projects for Attwood Equestrian based in Marshall. They went so well, they asked her to stay on as their marketing director.

“I just fell in love with Virginia,” Mary said. “My business has really taken off since I came here. I do a lot of graphic design, art directing, just about anything creative involved with the business side of the equestrian world. And if there’ s something I can’t do, I have a team of highly qualified people I can call on.

“I love working with so many different clients. My clients cover an amazing range — from Olympians to Fortune 500 to smaller companies with equally lofty goals. I also do a lot of sponsorship development on a local and national level. It’ s win-win all around, and very satisfying to have an idea and just watch it blossom.”

And clearly far better than playing golf with an old and definitely long gone boyfriend at St. Andrews.

Bella Voce 2.0 with Emily Casey & Nakia Verner

Sunday, June 9, 2024 - 3PM

FOR TICKETS & INFO:

www.piedmontsymphony.org or scan the code:

Concerts held at:

A. Hughes Center/Highland School - Warrenton

Michael

Luminescence Foundation & The Ben-Dov Family

The Margaret Spilman Bowden Foundation

Nicolaas and Patricia Kortlandt Fund

The Wise Foundation The Crossfields Group

Photo by Vicky Moon Mary McEachern

People That Care. connecting you to

Connect with a knowledgeable partner that understands the challenges and opportunities you face. We are pleased to welcome Margie Markham to our Warrenton team where she can share her expertise and knowledge to help your company succeed.

Let’s make a connection. Come see us today!

Warrenton Office

128 Broadview Avenue

540.359.7106

“The team here is wonderful and I am able to get back to my roots of community banking.”

KELSEY LEACHMAN: A Natural Born Tennis Coach

By Leonard Shapiro

The headline on the 1949 obituary for Kelsey Leachman’s great grandmother, Augusta Bradley Chapman, described her as “a tennis star.” Kelsey’s father, Bradley Chapman Drowne, was an outstanding tennis player and member of the American Platform Tennis Association’s Hall of Fame who once won a national championship.

So no one should be surprised that his daughter became an outstanding tennis player and has been coaching at Wakefield since 2013. She first signed up to handle the middle school’s boys team, then moved up as Wakefield’s varsity boys and girls team coach two years later.

The only surprise is that Kelsey never played high school or college tennis, preferring lacrosse and field hockey. Still, she’d been playing tennis growing up in Haverford, Pennsylvania and is still competing with and against the top players at the Middleburg Tennis Club. She was a member of MTC’s national U.S. Tennis Association 50-and-over championship team in 2011.

Kelsey and her late husband, Bill, and their family joined MTC in the late 1990s and she started playing with the club’s teams at the 3.5 and 4.0 level.

“I was playing a lot, doing clinics and playing on the team sounded exciting,” she said. “Then we won nationals at Indian Wells (California) and it was a great accomplishment. I just kept playing tennis, and it’s been a huge part of my life.”

“One of America’s best small-town bakeries” TRAVEL+ LEISURE

She had no coaching experience when she first decided to apply for the Wakefield job, but obviously was a quick study, evidenced by her moving up to the boys and girls varsity jobs. The girls season runs from August through November and the boys play from February through May.

She usually has between 10-12 players on each team from grades 9-12, with an occasional talented eighth grader on the varsity as well.

“The best part is that I’m able to share my love of tennis with the kids,” she said. “They’re so respectful, they enjoy the game and we’ve done well. I am so proud to be their coach.”

They play in the Greater Piedmont Athletic Conference, with nearby Highland School always a fierce rival. Most league schools have larger student bodies, but Wakefield has always been competitive, with several high finishes in the standings and many players moving on to state championship competitions.

They practice daily from 3 to 5:30 p.m. on Wakefield’s four outdoor courts. In bad weather, they move inside to the school’s squash court facility to pound balls up against the walls. Practices include plenty of drills, with players also facing off in singles and doubles competition.

“During matches, the exciting part for me is that I can coach them when they change sides after odd games,” she said. “I might tell a player to hit more high balls to their opponents backhand, just little tips that might help them as the match goes on. Some of them want it, some don’t, but most are receptive, especially when it’s a close match.

“The best part is that I’m able to share my love of tennis with the kids ... They’re so respectful, they enjoy the game and we’ve done well. I am so proud to be their coach.”

– Kelsey Leachman

“It’s just fun to watch them use the skills and the drills we work on in practice and apply it to the match, and then see them have success. I love what I’m doing, and every season is different. I enjoy working with all of them. They’re fun, they work hard and they get along with each other. It’s so rewarding to share my knowledge and love of tennis with them.”

Left to right: Andrea Mason, Chelsea Sawyers, Natalie Handford, Coach Kelsey Leachman, Madelyn Musgrove, Leah Kim, Audrey Mason, Liz Michael, Cecilia Turner, Catherine Griffin.

Left to right: Hayden Nelson, Leyang Huang, Brady Sawyers, Mathew Michael, Vikram Giyanani, Coach Kelsey Leachman, Arjith Mathew, Luke Linares, Tyler Kim. Toussaint Summers, Shi Yueya.

WEDNESDAYS 4:30 TO 7:30 PM

15 TO SEPT. 25th

Foxcroft Honored For Computer Science Program

Foxcroft School in Middleburg was the only Virginia school and one of only 68 worldwide to earn the prestigious College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Awards for achieving high female representation in both AP Computer Science A (AP CSA) and AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) courses during the 2022-23 academic year.

“Foxcroft continues to lead the way in STEM education for girls,” said Head of School Cathy S. McGehee. “We encourage our students to take computer science. The technology field is one where women continue to be underrepresented, and efforts such as ours can make a difference.”

Foxcroft’s computer science offerings are intentionally designed to provide girls the opportunity to learn programming in a meaningful and engaging way.

“The AP Computer Science Principles course is a really accessible course that gets a lot of students in the door,” said Alex Northrup, History Department Chair, Director of The Innovation Lab, and AP Computer Science Principles teacher.

“There’s some computer programming, but a lot of it is just about how the internet works and basic understanding of how digital technology works. The course content is a bridge to getting people more interested in computer programming, male or female.”

It’s the third time Foxcroft has received both the AP CSA and AP CSP Female Diversity Awards and the fifth time it has received AP Computer Science Female Diversity Awards.

The longevity of Foxcroft’s computer science program contributes to its success, as students spanning multiple grade levels try their hand at programming. “Role models matter,” McGehee said. “If younger girls see older girls working in technology, they believe they can do it too.”

Northrup agreed.

“It helps to have had the program for a few years,” she said. “Students hear about what happened in the course the year before, it spreads the willingness and desire to take that on.”

The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $100,530 in 2022. However, women represent just 24 percent of the five million people in computing occupations. Providing female students with access to computer science courses is necessary to ensure gender parity in the industry’s high-paying jobs and to drive innovation, creativity, and representation.

Research from the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS) shows that attending an all-girls school strengthens interest and success in STEM fields. Specifically, in math and computer skills, girls’ school graduates rate confidence in their abilities at least 10 percent higher than their co-educated counterparts.

For AP Computer Science Principles, the course is taught using a curriculum developed by code.org. According to its website, code.org is an “education innovation nonprofit dedicated to the vision that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science as part of their core K-12 education.”

Foxcroft was one of the first schools to pilot this curriculum several years ago with Northrup’s faculty involvement and two students from the Class of 2022 who sat on Code.org’s student advisory board.

“It’s a great curriculum,” Northrup said. “All of the examples that you see include different kinds of people, and you see women and people of different ethnicities being actively involved in computer programming. You begin to realize, ‘I can see myself in this, even as a career.’ So that’s a cool curriculum that we use.”

Photo by Vicky Moon Foxcroft Head of School Cathy McGehee

It’s no Longer an Event for Trainer Julie Gomena

By Chip Newcomb

You can say that horses aren’t in steeplechase trainer Julie Gomena’s blood, they’re in her soul.

She comes from a “totally un-athletic, un-horsey family,” she said. But from a very young age, she fell in love with horses.  “As a three-yearold, I would wander into the next door neighbors’ paddock and watch horses.”

And nine years later, at age 12, Julie had her first riding lesson with instructor Julie Hook, a three-day event trainer in Oregon.

“I loved eventing,” she said, “and eventually decided I wanted to pack up my horses and move to the east coast and ride with Bruce Davidson.”

The year was 1982 and she thought she’d only stay for the summer. But she never went back. She and her husband, Robert Bonnie, own Over Creek Farm in Middleburg.

Gomena got her start through eventing, and that discipline used to be almost all thoroughbred horses, which is why she has an affinity for them.

“All my event horses had been brought off the track and I started them from scratch teaching them how to jump,” she said. “That’s always been the way I’ve done things.”

As eventing evolved into a shorter format, thoroughbreds fell out of favor and she decided to step away from the discipline. She had been galloping at Sunny Bank Farm near Middleburg for Mrs. (Dot)

Smithwick, and “before I knew it, I was entered into the ladies Timber Race.”

She had promised her parents she’d never ride a horse in a race. And then she was entered in the Casanova Hunt point-to-point to point where she rode in the Ladies Timber event and had a blast.

“I didn’t say anything to my parents,” she recalled. “I think I finished third that day.”

At the next race meet, the Rappahannock Hunt point-to-point, she and Jill and Blair Waterman were riding in the ladies timber race.  They all came to a fence at the same time.  All three horses stopped, and all three women fell off.  After getting back on, Gomena’s horse was the only one to jump the fence, and she won her first race.

After that win, “My picture was all over The Chronicle of the Horse, which my parents got.”  And her secret was out.

Julie went on to win the 1994 Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event at the Kentucky Horse Park with her horse, Treaty.

Though she doesn’t ride in races any more, she still gallops the racehorses she trains every day.  She also enjoys fox hunting and riding her retired steeplechasers.

Gomena is greatly looking forward to the upcoming Virginia Gold Cup races on May 4, where she’ll have several entries.

“The top horses are there and it’s a lovely course,” she said.”The people love it.  It’s a big deal.”

She also has an affinity for Glenwood Park and the Middleburg spring races on April 20.

“It’s a fun place to be, and it’s nice that you can see the whole course,” she said. “It’s a lovely venue, and a very good course.”

For information on Over Creek Farm, visit overcreekfarm.com

Photo by Doug Gehlsen of Middleburg Photo Julie Gomena and a friend

Matt Gallagher: An Author and Authority On War

By M.J. McAteer

Matt Gallagher is not a morning person, but six days a week, he’s up at 5 a.m. anyway, because that’s his best time to write. That reveille schedule has worked well for the 41-year-old author, whose new novel is the rather aptly named “Daybreak.”

The book is the story of love and remembrance set in war-ravaged Ukraine. He has been on a book tour which included Tulsa, where he’s had a fellowship for several years, New Haven, Buffalo and at Middleburg Books on a recent Saturday.

Middleburg is a place Gallagher knows intimately, because his mother, Deborah Scott Gallagher, has lived in town for a decade. During Covid, the writer and his wife and their two young boys spent an entire summer in Middleburg, and he and his mother used that time to read “War and Peace” together. Taking an annual photograph of his sons with the fox statue in front of the Community Center has become a family tradition.

Gallagher’s personal knowledge of Ukraine is at the heart of “Daybreak.” In 2022, he traveled to Lviv, where he helped train civil defense forces, and he returned twice more last year to talk to Ukranians and foreign soldiers about their lives under siege, experiences that he chronicled for Esquire magazine.

The writer’s interest in how people cope during wartime harks back to another brutal conflict—the counterinsurgency in Iraq, where he served as an Army scout platoon leader. He saw a lot of horror and inanities during his deployment, and he posted his mordant observations about both in a blog called “Kaboom: A Soldier’s War Journal.”

“I had stories to tell,” he said, “but I didn’t know what I was doing.”

For a few months, before military powers shut it down, “Kaboom” was a popular read with his fellow soldiers. When he was a civilian again, Gallagher tapped his blog postings for a memoir that The Washington Post called “at turns hilarious, maddening and terrifying.”

Two novels followed, the 2010 “Kaboom: Embracing the Suck in a Savage Little War”; “Youngblood,” which also is set in Iraq; and “Empire City,” an alternative history in which America won the Vietnam War. “Daybreak” was released this year.

On the day that he did his reading in Middleburg, Gallagher also talked about what he called “the difficult, often impossible choices everyday people must make when a force as powerful as war comes to them.

“In my own small way, my writing this book was an attempt [to get] Americans to engage with the subject,” he said. “People don’t have a full

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understanding of the costs.”

Gallagher will be leaving Tulsa soon and moving to Colorado Springs, where he’ll teach writing at the Air Force Academy. He’ll also be getting up at 5 a.m. six days a week to work on his next novel, which will be set in Nevada right after the Civil War when the West teemed with veterans, Unionists and rebels alike.

“It will be liberating to look back at another time,” he said. Though that era seems so distant from 21stcentury life, just like now, people then “were trying to figure out what America was,” he said. And that’s what he wants to write about.

“I have a lot to say about my country,” he said.

Photo by M.J. McAteer Author Matt Gallagher

Personal Injury?

Call Penn Crawford

By Leonard Shapiro

Attorney J. Penn Crawford hardly hesitates when asked what he enjoys most about his specialty, personal injury law. “Leveling the playing field,” he said, and his highly successful practice makes it perfectly clear he’s a formidable advocate for the people he represents.

Crawford is a Richmond native and associated with The Johnson Injury Firm. He and his wife, Kate, also an attorney, and their two teenage daughters still live there, but he’s opened a satellite office located at the Upperville law office of Mildred “Bucky” Slater. That would be Kate’s mother, a widely regarded attorney in the Middleburg area for more than 50 years.

Kate also occasionally works out of that Upperville office, and Penn will be making the drive from Richmond to the same location every other week, and maybe more often depending on the number of local cases he’ll be handling.

As for that playing field, Penn said, “Virginia is tough because it’s been one of the top states for the insurance industry. The average person gets injured and then talks to the (insurance company’s) adjuster who is really not on their side. They’ll talk them out of the compensation they should be getting. It’s a game they’ve been playing for a long time, and if you don’t know the rules, you are probably in trouble.”

Penn clearly knows the rules. He’s been honored by the National Trial Lawyers Association as among the country’s top 40 lawyers under 40, and has been named to Best Lawyers in America and to Superlawyers since 2020 and has been published several times in Virginia Trial Lawyers Journal as well as by JustLaw.

Practicing law was not his first pursuit after graduating from East Carolina University in 1996. He initially came to Washington to work for Richmond Congressman Tom Bliley, then chairman of the House Commerce Oversight and Investigations committee.

He enjoyed the job, but also saw early on that the best way to advance on Capitol Hill was to have a law degree. He enrolled at the University of Richmond Law School, which provided an even better life-changing benefit—meeting and falling in love with Kate, also attending the same school.

Penn began his career at a Richmond firm and focused on contracts, personal injury and served as a “Guardian Ad Litem” for at risk children in the City of Richmond.”

“I did one divorce case there, and decided I didn’t ever want to do another one,” he said. He eventually left for a Richmond firm that specialized in personal injury. In December, 2002, he joined The Johnson Injury Firm in order to cut down on his case load and spend more time with his clients.

One of his favorite cases involved a man who was badly injured when his car crashed into a truck that had inexplicably stopped dead in the middle of the highway.

“At first, the trucking company denied any fault at all,” Penn said. “We found several violations and they eventually admitted fault and gave just compensation. He had a traumatic brain injury that initially left him unable to speak. We were also able to find the very best doctors for him, and he made an incredible recovery. That’s what makes it so satisfying.”

A level playing field always is.

J. Penn Crawford’s Upperville office is located at 9005 John Mosby Highway in Upperville. He can be reached at 540-592-3600 or by text at 804-404-2798.

Kate and Penn Crawford

ZEST

Well, we now know that daddy Jonathan Adams can dance but did you know that momma and son can also cut the rug? Here is Jana Adams with son Caleb Adams

the cotillion, also

Community

Photo by Doug Gehlsen of Middleburg Photo Milton Sender and Rebecca Kerr-Jarrett at The Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association discussion on the past, present, and future of the tradition of riding to hounds at Buchanan Hall.

Photo by Leonard Shapiro Marie Dennis with her daughter, BethAnn Slater, Head of School at Middleburg Montessori for the Art of the Piedmont fundraiser.

Photo by Leonard Shapiro At the Middleburg Community Center for Art of the Piedmont, Gomer Pyles has documented his life journey across the wide open spaces and says: “I love the movie I’m in right now.”

Photo by Santa Ana Photography Winners of the Dancing With The Middleburg Stars fundraiser at the Middleburg Community Center, Bridget Wilson with The Rev. Jonathan Adams.

at

at the Middleburg

Center.

Photo by Donna Strama Punkin Lee, president of the Middleburg Business and Professional Association, distributed balloons at the Middleburg Sidewalk Sale.

Photo by Doug Gehlsen of Middleburg Photo Ian MacDougall and Travis Shaw of VPHAA also at the Buchanan Hall event.

Photo by Donna Strama Ann Sittman and Joseph Keusch were among the friends and guests at the newly opened Museum of Hounds and Hunting North America.

Yes Sir, Falcons Landing Offers a Comfy Nest

A S Y O U R O N E - S T O P

S E R V I C E P R O V I D E R ,

V I R G I N I A S E P T I C I S

P L E A S E D T O O F F E R :

P u m p i n g o f R e s i d e n t i a l a n d C o m m e r c i a l

S e p t i c T a n k s a n d G r e a s e T r a p s

O p e r a t i o n & M a i n t e n a n c e ( O & M ) f o r

S e p t i c S y s t e m s

R e a l E s t a t e S e p t i c a n d W e l l I n s p e c t i o n s

S a f e , A d e q u a t e , a n d P r o p e r I n s p e c t i o n s

S e p t i c S y s t e m R e p a i r s

I n s t a l l a t i o n f o r B o t h N e w C o n s t r u c t i o n o r R e p l a c e m e n t o f O l d e r S y s t e m s

TBy Joe Motheral

Motheral

he gate at Falcons Landing in Sterling opens to a large, well-groomed campus, with apartment buildings, cottages, duplexes, and countless support facilities. It’s also home for retired military and government personnel and, according to one resident, “No one here is rank conscious.”

The process of selecting the location began in 1982 when 12 sites were evaluated before selecting the current location, according to its former CEO, retired Air Force Major General Barbara Brannon.

“We’re around the corner from a fire and rescue unit and 10 minutes from either INOVA in Lansdowne or the hospital in Reston,” she said.

According to its website, Falcons Landing is “a not-for-profit senior living community” and “reinvests all funds into the continuous improvement of the community, directly benefiting our residents and enhancing their quality of life. It’s governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of experienced and accomplished senior leaders.”

Resident Tom Flynn, 89, is a retired admiral with a naval career that included serving as the Navy’s Judge Advocate General. He has a law degree from Fordham and moved to Falcons Landing ten years ago along along with his late wife Mary, who died three years ago.

B u i l d i n g o n R a w L a n d ?

B u i l d i n g o n R a w L a n d ?

N e e d S o i l s w o r k d o n e N e e d S o i l s w o r k d o n e f o r y o u r p r o j e c t ? f o r y o u r p r o j e c t ?

O u r S i s t e r C o m p a n y S o i l s , I n c , O u r S i s t e r C o m p a n y S o i l s , I n c , c a n s t a r t y o u r p r o j e c t o f f w i t h c a n s t a r t y o u r p r o j e c t o f f w i t h p e r c o l a t i o n t e s t i n g a n d s e p t i c d e s i g n s p e r c o l a t i o n t e s t i n g a n d s e p t i c d e s i g n s

“Everyone here has some sort of military connection as a similar part of our lives,” he said. “The staff is very knowledgeable. They know what retired military people are eligible for. They can explain what you need to do to be eligible for medical care.”

Admiral Flynn has been living in a duplex and soon will be moving into an apartment that will facilitate his access to the main building. Two new apartment buildings recently have been competed and they include covered foot bridges connected, like the other apartment complexes, to the main building.

His two bedroom duplex includes a fully equipped kitchen, dining area, living room, garage, and patio and his new apartment has all of the same amenities.

The main building, a comfortable gathering place for all residents, includes a spacious dining room, indoor swimming pool, and meeting and assembly rooms. A separate building houses the medical facility.

C a l l t o s c h e d u l e y o u r s e r v i c e t o d a y !

C a ll t o s c h e d u l e y o u r s e r v i c e t o d a y !

Residents can also take part in a long list of activities. There are tennis courts and a very busy fitness center, with an arts and crafts studio, woodworking shop, library, and ballroom that hosts parties, meetings, musical performances and movies. Also on campus—a library and a chapel.

There are other advantages, according to one woman who has lived at Falcon’s Landing for 25 years. “Please spread the word to your friends that we have a lot of single women here,” she said with a smile.

The Landing also provides assisted living along with memory care. A small bus also is available for residents to go off campus to local grocery stores and shopping centers.

“For me this was a big item,” Admiral Flynn said, “since I had to quit driving six months ago.”

And what does he do for entertainment?

“I attend shows, dining, and concerts with dancing,” he said, adding that everything he needs is available in a community he clearly adores.

Photos by Joe

Retired Admiral Tom Flynn

A spacious dining area serves up food and fun.

HERE & THERE

A.D. “Don” Beveridge Dedicated to Polo

Kitty Beveridge Barker learned to ride on her father’s polo ponies in South Florida. She started jumping over the short rails of the massive fields at Royal Palm Polo in Boca Raton. Her dedication to riding has been steady and she’s now a highly successful professional on the horse show circuit. A resident of Unison, Virginia, she travels to Florida in the winter with her husband, fellow horseman Johnny Barker. Her father, the late A. D. “Don” Beveridge, was recently honored at The Museum of Polo 35th annual Hall of Fame Gala in Lake Worth, Florida. He was honored with the Philip Inglehart Award.The nomination read, “Pioneering Efforts: A truly iconic figure during the rebuilding years following WWII, Don Beveridge was a catalyst for helping to reinvigorate the sport throughout the 1950s and ‘60s. Don helped organize and played on some of the most dynamic teams of that era, leading his famed Triple C team to four victories in the U.S. Open, and wins of the National 20 Goal and Monty Waterbury, leaving his mark competitively. He co-founded, along with his brother, Bert Beveridge, Boca Raton Polo Club, playing an integral part of helping to bring and promote high-goal polo in South Florida. To further help publicize and energize the sport, he started Polo Unlimited Magazine.” He reached a four-goal handicap, won the U.S. Open four times (1954, ‘55,’ 57, ‘60); the National 20 Goal in 1954 & 1955, the 1954 and 1956 Butler National Handicap and the Monty Waterbury in 1951 and.1954 and many others.

Community Music School of the Piedmont students Sofia Sakiko Saucedo Sato and Saúl Seiji Saucedo Sato were invited to perform at the recent Candlelight Concert.

Martha Cotter, executive director of the Community Music School of the Piedmont with musician Brian Ganz and recent Candlelight Concert hosts Tom and Nancy Dungan.

Photo by Tiffany Dillon Keen Looking through the stones of yesterday and today. Milan Silos off Rokeby Road owned by George Grayson and Gregg Ryan in the Piedmont Fox Hounds territory.

Photo by Donna Strama With all best wishes to Maria and Pedro Fuentes upon their retirement following 30 years of serving up many meals from Dank’s Deli and also their own Middleburg Deli.

1177 PARKER STREET .89 acres | $999,998

For the Virginia Steeplechase Association holiday party at Buchanan Hall friends and participants celebrated the season. Then the group moved to the Middleburg Community Center for their annual awards dinner, both of which were hosted by acting president Don Yovanovich.

Upperville – Enjoy a weekend retreat or full-time residence on almost one acre. Just minutes west of Middleburg, this 3 bedroom, 3 and a half bath home was fully renovated in 2010 by a local custom home builder for himself. Therefore, no details were spared. Move-in ready. 1179 PARKER STREET .69 acres | $599,500 Upperville – Charming house located on a side street just off Route 50. The house has been updated to create ideal spaces for everyday living. The property features mature landscaping, detached 2-car garage and concrete sidewalks. High speed buried fiber internet is available. Ideal commuter location.

Sean

The 38th Annual Virginia Steeplechase Awards hosted by Don Yovanovich took place recently at the Middleburg Community Center. Winners included: Open Leading Owner: Irv Naylor; Open Leading Trainer: Jack Fisher; Open Leading Rider: Graham Watters; Open Leading Hurdle Horse and Steeplechase Horse of the Year: Snap Decision, owned by Bruton Street-US; Open Leading Timber Horse: Storm Team, owned by Sheila Williams/Northwoods Stables.

Open Leading Rider Graham Watters and Rosie Watters.

Miles Clancy accepted the award from Don Yovanovich for the Virginia Owned Steeplechase Horse of the Year, Awakened, owned by Riverdee Stable and Ten Strike Racing.

Victoria Crawford with Diane Naylor.

Cricket Bedford, Lisa Ben Dov and Punkin Lee.

Leading Virginia Owner Will Russell with his wife, Diane Russell. They were tied with Riverdee Stable. Will Russell also had Animal Kingston, the Virginia Leading Hurdle Horse.

Photos by Camden Littleton

BOOKED UP TOO

By Vicky Moon

Guide for Simple Luxuries: Elevate Your Everyday With Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank

Connie Paradise is a photographer, mother, grandmother, and wife. Now retired, she has pursued her love for creativity through photography and now in her new book, she shares economical tips and ideas for leading an elevated daily life.

Connie Paradise’s distinctive guidebook offers practical and optimistic tips for leading an elevated daily life. It provides simple and cost-effective ways to improve your living space, manage your budget, and redefine luxury beyond material possessions to focus on the things that truly matter. She and many others firmly believe that good manners are becoming obsolete and share the top rules we should all follow. In her book, Connie emphasizes the importance of self-care and how it can significantly improve our lives. She reminds us to appreciate and engage in the experiences that life offers. By learning the secrets of gratitude and abundance, we can expand our concept of simple luxury and make it a daily practice. This book is a valuable collection of insights and positivity that will inspire readers to live a more fulfilling life. Connie and her husband, Ollin Toler live in Virginia with their two cats, Leonard and Loretta. And, her book would make a lovely gift for friends and family. It is available on Amazon.

Joanna’s World: With Stardust and Freedom and Sage

When June Sananjaleen Hughes book, “Joanna’s World,” first came out, she made a trip to Claude Thompson Elementary School to read a chapter every week to the children. She lives not far away in the village of Rectortown. “It was fun, fun, fun,” she told ZEST recently. “Then they would illustrate it, facilitated by the librarian.”

This colorful and fun, fun, fun book is for children of all ages. Stardust the cat, and Freedom the pony, and Sage the dog are not just friends, they are mentors and counselors, sharing their wisdom in love and joy, to the character of Joanna. Available on Amazon, it’s not only a joy to read about this book, but also to write about a long-time writer friend.

Ambition and a Tragedy at Sea

WBy John T. Toler

hile the legend of pioneering pilot Charles Lindberg is well known, a woman who once lived in Warrenton was a serious contender to be the first “Lady Lindy” in 1927.

Frances Wilson Grayson (1890-1927) was the wife of Warrenton businessman John Brady Grayson (1871-1942), the son of George Washington Grayson (1835-1919) and Mary Elizabeth Brady Grayson (1845-1923).

John B. Grayson established Grayson’s Department Store in Warrenton in the late 1890s. In addition to his retail business and real estate investments, he served as Warrenton’s postmaster from 1907-1914 and 1923-1934.

The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Wilson, Frances was born in Cherokee Village, Arkansas. The family later moved to Muncie, Ind., where her father owned and operated a grocery store.

After graduating from high school, Frances attended the Chicago Musical College. She later enrolled at Swarthmore College, where she studied recitation and dramatic arts and also met John Grayson, who was almost 20 years her senior. They married in September, 1914.

Prominent in the community, John was a deacon and treasurer of the Warrenton Baptist Church and chairman of the 8th District Republican Committee. He also was a member of the Mt. Carmel Lodge, A.F. & A.M., and served several years as town treasurer.

Frances was likewise involved in the community, and was a member of the Warrenton Chapter of the Equal Suffrage League of Virginia, advocating for women’s right to vote.

Both John and Frances were involved in several real

estate investments in town, sometimes partnering with Mr. and Mrs. Ford Anderson. In 1922, they purchased the store building on Main Street that John had rented for several years from the estate of the late Joseph A. Jeffries. They divorced in 1923, and Frances moved to New York City, where she worked as a writer for a newspaper before starting a career in real estate.

She also became interested in aviation, and after Lindbergh’s trans-Atlantic flight in May, 1927, she was determined to become the first woman to fly across the Atlantic.

Knowing that other women had similar ambitions, Frances quickly set about finding backers for her flight. She received financial support from Mrs. Aage Ancker, the wealthy daughter of Pittsburgh steel manufacturer Charles H. Sang.

Looking for quick aircraft delivery, she put a deposit on a new Sikorsky S-36 twin-engine amphibious aircraft, one of six then under construction at the Sikorsky Manufacturing Company in Roosevelt, N.Y. Able to take off and land on water, the S-36 seemed the ideal choice for a trans-Atlantic flight. Frances christened the new airplane, registration NX 1282, “The Dawn.”

On Oct. 11, 1927, she and her crew attempted to take off from Old Orchard Beach, Maine, but had to turn back because of deteriorating weather and mechanical problems.

Another attempt was made on Oct. 17, 1927. With pilot Wilmer Stultz at the controls, “The Dawn” left Orchard Beach again, this time making it out about 500 miles before thickening weather forced them to return. A third attempt also was aborted shortly after take-off.

Frances prepared for another attempt, this time with a new crew consisting of pilot Lt. Oskar Omdal,

navigator Brice Goldsborough, and Frank Koehler, an expert on Wright engines who was to stay on board until “The Dawn” reached the jumping-off point at Harbor Grace, Newfoundland.

Late in the afternoon of Friday, Dec. 23, 1927, a crowd gathered at Roosevelt Field on Long Island, N.Y. to witness the historic take-off.

“The Dawn” lifted off at 5:07 p.m. on the first leg of the trip, en route to Harbour Grace, where it would be re-fueled. The last confirmed sighting of “The Dawn” was at 7:10 p.m. off Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Later that evening, the crew of a schooner fighting a strong gale in the dark about 20 miles off Nauset Beach claimed to have heard the roar of aircraft engines nearby, followed by a splash. After about five minutes, the noise stopped.

When “The Dawn” did not arrive at Harbour Grace by the next morning, it was clear something had gone wrong. Because the plane carried enough fuel to stay in the air for 20 hours, it was assumed that after that much time, “The Dawn” was on the water somewhere off the coast.

Radio operators at a Canadian government radio station on Sable Island reported they had heard a broken radio transmission using “The Dawn’s” code prefix, asking for navigational bearings before stating, “Something wrong here,” followed by “… plane down.”

Authorities were optimistic the crew had successfully landed on open water, and had made it to one of the many coves and inlets along the way. Search planes covered the route from New York to Harbour Grace, but found nothing.

All possible sightings were investigated, and the search expanded all the way to the coastal waters around Newfoundland. But no trace of the missing plane or its crew was ever found. After several days

John Brady Grayson (1871-1942) Herald Examiner Collections

Frances Wilson Grayson (1890-1927) Herald Examiner Collections

without a break, the search was suspended.

In later years, speculation arose the aircraft went down much further out in the Atlantic than originally believed.

This theory was supported when a bottle with a message inside washed up on the shore of Salem Harbor, Mass. in January, 1929. The note read, “1928. We are freezing. Gas leaked and we are drifting off Grand Banks. Grayson.” Was it real, or a hoax? It’s unlikely anyone will ever know.

The late Mrs. Douglas Saunders of Warrenton was the daughter of T. Keller Grayson and niece of John B. Grayson. Born at the Grayson home place in New Baltimore in 1922, she never knew Frances Wilson Grayson, but has fond memories of John B. Grayson, who she knew as “Uncle Johnny.”

Mrs. Saunders remembers hearing about the disappearance of Uncle Johnny’s former wife, and noted that while he was “…always quite popular with the ladies,” he never remarried.

“He had no children of his own, so my sister Delia and I were very special to him,” recalled Mrs. Saunders. “He was like our second father.”

John B. Grayson was a loyal Republican. “I remember seeing sheet music on his piano with a song about Alf Landon (the 1936 Republican Party presidential candidate),” recalled Mrs. Saunders. “And he had all the campaign buttons for the Republican candidates he supported.”

In his later years, John B. Grayson turned over management of the Grayson Department Store to his nephew, George Grayson (1910-1967). When John’s health failed, he lived with T. Keller Grayson at his home in New Baltimore until his death in 1942.

Southern Department Stores of Richmond acquired Grayson’s Department Store in 1945, and in 1958, the Grayson building on Main Street sold to Lerner Bros., and leased back. When the lease expired in 1965, Grayson’s moved out to the Northern Virginia Shopping Center. It later became Southern Department Store, and finally Peebles Department Store.

Today, the former Grayson’s/Southern/Peebles building is the home of Galaxy Strikes Bowling Center.

Frances Wilson Grayson (1890-1927) Herald Examiner Collections

In this 1948 drawing appearing in Joseph Jeffries’ “Fauquier County 1840-1910,” the view is Warrenton’s Main Street from Grayson’s Department Store down to Jeffries Drug Store, Sowers Drug Store, Peoples National Bank and the Hillary Building.

The Digital Art of Photographer

Tiffany Dillon Keen

“I wanted to mix my love of photography and painting together to create digital artwork. I work with many kinds of mediums, but this style is one of my favorites. It blends the memory of the actual moment with the added benefits of boosted color and texture.”

Protecting Bay Seafood From The Dead Zone

The combination of pollution reduction practices and below-average rainfall resulted in a historically small “dead zone” in the Chesapeake Bay in 2023, according to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) annual report.

It indicates that that hypoxic, low-oxygen conditions last year were at their lowest since monitoring began in 1985. These results concur with a separate report issued by the Chesapeake Bay Program in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR).

On April 18, Long Branch Historic Home in Millwood will feature a talk by William & Mary dean and VIMS director Dr. Derek Aday starting at 6 p.m. He’s expected to share the many ways his department is involved in protecting local seafood as well as Virginia’s preparedness for flooding and storm events, and healthier waterways in Virginia and around the globe.

The dead zone report is quite significant, and quite unexpected.

“The low levels of hypoxia in 2023, despite the high temperatures, are truly surprising,” said Dr. Marjy Friedrichs, a VIMS professor. “This may finally be clear evidence that our nutrient reduction strategies are improving water quality and fish and shellfish habitats.”

Dr. Aaron Bever of Anchor QEA, LLC and coauthor of the Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Report Card with Friedrichs added, “It’s great that the Bay

Dr. Derek Aday, Dean and Director of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at William & Mary.

has now had relatively low amounts of hypoxia for multiple years. This shows that nutrient reductions are having a positive impact on the health of the Bay and Bay habitat.”

Dead zones are areas of low oxygen (less than two

milligrams per liter of oxygen) that form in deep Bay waters when nutrients enter the water through polluted runoff and feed naturally-occurring algae.

This drives the growth of algal blooms, which eventually die and decompose, removing oxygen from the surrounding waters faster than it can be replenished. This creates low-oxygen—or hypoxic— conditions at the bottom of the Bay that limit habitat for crabs, oysters, fish, and other wildlife.

Researchers track Bay oxygen conditions using a variety of methods. Oxygen and nutrient levels are routinely measured as part of the Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Monitoring Program, a Bay-wide cooperative effort involving watershed jurisdictions, several federal agencies, 10 academic institutions, and more than 30 scientists.

The 2023 dead zone could have been even smaller if not for the season’s above average temperatures and average wind speeds. Warmer air leads to warmer Bay waters, which in turn hold less oxygen and support higher rates of oxygen consumption by microorganisms.

Faster wind speeds help mix oxygen into the deeper waters of the Bay, which can prevent hypoxic conditions. In addition to the weather conditions, the size and duration of the Bay’s dead zone is affected by the amount of nutrients entering the Chesapeake from its surrounding watershed.

To register for the Long Branch event, call Crystal Booker at VIMS at 804-684-7099

Remembering Rector Dick Peard, A TRINITY LEGEND

By Denis Cotter

Still fondly remembered by his parishioners and friends, Reverend Richard Townsend Carroll Peard served as Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville for twelve years from 1979 until his death in 1991. A dynamic, much-loved individual, he revitalized his parish and had an enduring influence on the community.

In vestry notes and church newsletters, his abbreviation was RTCP, but everyone knew him simply as Dick Peard. He was born in Olmugee, Oklahoma, a few months before Pearl Harbor. His parents were from Williamsport, Pennsylvania and his father, Samuel Ulman John Peard, also was an Episcopalian minister.

Ordained in the late 1920s, Sam and his wife, Winona Lavina Merab Carroll, moved to Oklahoma in 1930 to serve as missionaries. Eleven years later, Dick, their only child, was born.

Dick’s life reveals an abiding commitment to caring for children and young people—both their physical and spiritual development. When Dick was three, the family moved to Mansfield, Ohio, where Dick grew up and his father spent the rest of his pastoral career.

On the surface, it was a typically uneventful Midwest upbringing of a talented and indulged only child. There were music lessons, Boy Scout camps, singing performances at Christmas and Easter at his father’s church, high school musicals and eventually enrollment at Ohio’s Wittenberg University.

He earned a degree in political science and philosophy. And years later, he revealed to friends it had not always been easy, particularly a short stint at Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana.

He told stories of public fat-shaming and being mercilessly teased and bullied because he was overweight. At Culver, the commander would yell “Is Peard fat?” and the corps would shout back, “Hell, yes, Peard is fat!”

The incidents clearly pierced his soul, but he also developed empathy without bounds and became particularly adept at helping high school and college age youngsters.

When he served on the board of The Hill School in Middleburg decades later, he reminded graduating eighth graders that they may have felt part of a larger family on campus, but the world would not always be so kind. He urged them to be patient, not to give up and “when you find your place in this world, remember to help others find theirs.”

His words are now inscribed in the compass rose on the entrance floor to the Peard Music and Lunch Room at Hill.

He was a brilliant student at Wittenberg, a Phi Beta Kappa officer, and musically gifted. He composed, directed and produced plays, including a musical comedy on Lizzie Borden, that New England girl who used an ax to transform her parents into chopped sirloins.

After his 1962 graduation, Dick took seven years

before being ordained a deacon in 1969. First, he did graduate work at Ohio State in philosophy and literature before settling on a master’s in education and teaching at a middle school.

He got back on track towards a career in ministry with a master’s in divinity at Virginia Theological Seminary. At seminary in the summer of 1964, he served with four other students for 11 weeks as an interim chaplain at San Quentin Prison in California.

His mother died at age 58 the following year. Graduating in 1966, Dick became a social worker in Washington, D.C., then was a counselor to the hard-core unemployed in a Department of Labor program. Finally, he was ordained a priest in 1970.

Dick also served eight years at St. Albans Parish near the Washington National Cathedral. He ran the coffee house, turning it into a social and creative arts center for young people exposed to the drug culture, Vietnam war and ensuing protest movement.

He also served several years as associate pastor at St. Margaret’s in Washington before coming to Trinity in 1979. When he arrived at the beautiful granite church built by Paul Mellon in 1955, the congregation was quite small, as few as 35 members. It grew to well over 500.

Among his achievements were starting its Thrift Shop; opening the Piedmont Childcare Center and hiring long-time director Alice Duggan; the establishment of a food bank and active participation in Washington-based SOME (So Others Might Eat).

He also set up a scholarship program so underprivileged children could attend summer camps Dick led at Shrine Mont, the Episcopal retreat at Orkney Springs in western Shenandoah County. He also held weekly programs for children at Hill, and was an enthusiastic tennis player on the side.

Some of the programs he implemented occasionally drew criticism from various Trinity parishioners. But through any controversy, Dick remained true to his ministry and his faith, saying “our hearts can be loving, our hearts can be reaching out and our ears can always be listening. That is the business we are about in the vineyard, that is the business we are about as the people in the Kingdom of God.”

Sadly, in 1990, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He quickly organized his affairs, leaving significant bequests to educational institutions and many young people he had counseled and befriended.

Attended by his friend, physician Jim Sehn, Dick died in the old rectory beside the church, now the Peard House administrative building. His funeral was attended by hundreds. Ted Eastman, his friend and former boss at St. Albans and then Bishop of Maryland, gave the funeral sermon using Dick’s chosen text of the Good Shepherd.

Ted and Dick had once written a hymn together, “Holy and Creative Spirit,” with Dick writing the music and Ted the words. It was sung at the funeral and is still heard at Trinity today.

After the service, Dick was buried just outside the church, along the south wall, facing Route 50. After that, mourners participated in a champagne party on the north side. Knowing his love of holidays, long-time parishioner Ann MacLeod for many years placed a pumpkin on his grave at Halloween. At Christmas, friends still place a wreath there.

Dick’s tombstone is directly above his grave, embedded in the church wall. In words he chose himself, it reads: “Shout out our joy and let our faith resound.”

Amen.

Photo by Sehn Photos

The late Rector Richard Peard at Trinity Church in Upperville.

“Holy and Creative Spirit,” music by Rector Richard Peard.

Sip and Soirée WINDY HILL

YOU'RE INVITED!

We are proud to have entered our 41st year of Making a Difference in our neighborhood. This year we will celebrate the 20th anniversary o f Virginia Lane. We welcome you to celebrate this incredible milestone with our community!

Thursday, April 25, 2024 6:00-8:00 PM

Salamander Resort & Spa

To reserve your sponsorship or tickets: scan the QR code to the right, call 540.687.3997, or email eloise@windyhillfoundation.com!

Checks can be mailed to: Windy Hill Foundation, Inc. PO Box 1593 Middleburg, VA 20118

100% of sponsorship and tickets sales will go towar d our Education Scholarship Fund (preschool, vocational, college); our Executive Directo r’s Emergency Fund (rent and utility support, food insecurity, car repairs, and more); a nd our WHF Home Repair and Maintenance Fund (refurbishment of our older homes)

We thank you for your generous support of our neighbors!

Next Stop For The Transformed Boyce Depot

By John E. Ross

Seems as if Frank Scheer’s been workin’ on the railroad all his live-long days. He’s the engineer of the two-decade campaign to restore the depot in Boyce and create Railway Mail Service archives next door.

For Frank, workin’ on the railroad began with romance, not for locomotives, rolling stock or stations, but for Betsey, a girl in his church. It was 1966. He was a junior in high school in Alexandria, and her dad was an officer in the Strategic Air Command. When her dad was posted to Loring Air Force Base and her family moved to Limestone, Maine, Frank longed to stay in touch.

The quickest way to get a letter to her was to send it by Railway Post Office, Frank said, adding, “That was the best fatherly advice I ever got.”

He wrote a letter, hustled three blocks to the station in Alexandria, banged on the door of the mail car, handed his letter to the postal clerk, and has been infatuated with railway mail ever since.

Posting letters to his erstwhile sweetheart via railway mail became a daily habit. Postal clerks began to recognize him and shout “Here’s that kid again.”

As week after week passed, Frank’s curiosity about what went on inside the mail rail car kept building. Eventually, he wangled a ride and was astounded by what he saw. Railway postal clerks had to place about 20 letters per minute into slots for destination cities. Mail clerks on trains southbound from Alexandria had to memorize codes for every one of Virginia’s 900 to 1,000 post offices.

Frank’s fascination with rail mail grew through his undergraduate years at the University of Virginia. He worked as a tower operator, electrically throwing switches and turning signals that routed trains safely through rail yards. Later during the summers of 1971 and 1973, he was an agent at Chesapeake & Ohio depot at Beaverdam, Va. and other nearby yards.

What he learned in those years and by collecting oral histories during his professional career, ultimately with the U.S. Postal Supply Management Department, fueled his passion to memorialize rail mail history.

In 2003, Frank bought the former Norfolk & Western depot at Boyce. He said the depot is the classic venue for presenting not only the history of rail mail but also how small towns like Boyce and railroads grew up together.

Photo by John Ross

Frank Scheer, surrounded by technology of the steam-train era, created two non-profit foundations, one to preserve the Boyce depot and the other to archive the heritage of Railway Mail Service.

The depot is unusually grand for a rural town the size of Boyce, once a crossroads on the Winchester-Berry’s Ferry Turnpike. The hamlet was no more than a whistle stop when the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, running from Hagerstown to Front Royal and eventually Roanoke, came through crossing the turnpike in 1880.

That the Shenandoah Valley Railroad chose this route is no accident. Vice president of the railroad was Upton Boyce, whose estate, Tulyeres, was just down the tracks near White Post.

The original depot at the crossing was a modest wood building, and the hamlet springing up around it was named Boyceville. Shortly “Boyceville” was shortened to “Boyce” to limit railroad telegraphers’ confusion with Berryville, the next stop up the line.

Norfolk & Western acquired the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in 1890 and embarked on a plan to improve freight and passenger facilities. At the same time agriculture and commerce in and around Boyce was thriving, and the town became incorporated in 1910. Two years later, the Norfolk & Western announced plans to replace the old wooden depot at Boyce

Plans for the new depot were modest at first. Then Peter H. Mayo of the Powhatan estate convinced his friends, Robert Page of Saratoga and Henry and Hattie Gilpin of Scaleby, to press for a larger, more elegant station. He backed their request with an investment of $17,500 or about $570,000 today.

The new 3,450-square foot white stucco depot opened in 1913 and included an agent’s office, waiting rooms, indoor restrooms, and baggage room. Spur tracks for freight and horse loading were laid nearby. As highways improved and passenger service declined, the N&W sold the station to private owners and eliminated service at the end of 1959. It served as Boyce’s Post Office until 1984.

To preserve the station and Boyce’s railway mail heritage, Frank established and leads two foundations: The Boyce Railway Depot Foundation and the Railway Service Library Foundation. The latter will preserve rail mail records, artifacts, a 1931 USPO truck, and a mobile U.S. Post Office in the 40,000-square foot Paul A. Nagle Archives under construction adjacent to the station.

For more information, visit https://boycedepot.com/ and https://railwaymail.org.

Photo by Boyce Depot Foundation

The Boyce Depot before its transformation was in desperate need of repair.

Photo by Boyce Depot Foundation The thoroughly transformed depot.

Another Historic Fauquier Football First

By Leonard Shapiro

So what are the chances that two players from small towns only a few miles apart in Fauquier County would be featured in prominent displays at the very same time in the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta?

And yet, that’s exactly what recent visitors have been able to view, with the Hall coincidentally honoring defensive back Haley Van Voorhis of The Plains and Shenandoah University and running back Blake Corum from Marshall and the University of Michigan.

Haley has a table all her own. Last September, she became the first woman ever to play a regular position—not just a kicker or a punter—in an NCAA football game. A junior safety at the Division III school, she took the field for a play in Shenandoah’s 48-7 rout of Juanita last Sept. 23, rushing the opposing quarterback into a hurried incomplete pass.

Her game jersey No. 10 and helmet as well as her photo and an explanation of that historic appearance made up one display at the Hall during national Woman’s History Month in March.

There have been other benefits for Haley, a fearless 5-foot-6, 145-pound dynamo who’s played football with the boys since elementary school.

She now serves as an ambassador for tennis great Billie Jean King’s Women’s Sports Foundation which, according to its website, is “dedicated to creating leaders by ensuring girls access to sports.”

With college athletes now allowed to be compensated for use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), she’s represented by a Pittsburgh firm, Jaster Sports, and has a sponsorship agreement with UnderArmour. The Maryland-based athletic apparel company has recently posted several ads on Instagram featuring Haley, with more to come in print and on line.

“We thought Haley would be a great fit for our company,” said Jordon Rooney, Jaster’s founder. “It’s an entry point for what she want to do with her life. It’s not a one time thing and it’s not about the money. She wants to be a thought leader. She wants to change the way people think about women athletes. We want to get her a seat at that table.”

Meanwhile, at another table at the Hall, there’s also been a display honoring the University of Michigan’s

The Haley Van Voorhis display at the College Football Hall of Fame

national championship 2023 season. The centerpiece is a Michigan game jersey No. 2 with the name Corum stitched on the back.

That was Blake Corum’s jersey number over a glorious four-year career for the Wolverines that ended with their dominating victory over the University of Washington for the national championship in Houston in January. Blake, who holds the Michigan record for touchdowns, rushed for 134 yards and two scores and was named offensive MVP of the title game.

A two-time All-American, Blake has spent most of the winter preparing for the upcoming NFL draft, where he’s projected by many draft-niks as a late firstround or early second-round pick. Surely, he’s also a lock for future induction into the College Football Hall of Fame after a spetacular college career.

Another Fauquier County first, as well.

Haley Van Voorhis

History Proves That “Dirt Don’t Burn”

By Linda Roberts

The teacher of a western Loudoun segregated Black school grew tired of the daily struggle to keep her schoolhouse warm enough for students to study and learn. Taking matters into her own hands, and tired of asking children to bring a lump of coal to school, Ethel Rae Stewart Smith, wrote a letter in 1956 to school leaders asking for coal to stoke the stove’s fire in her small building.

Smith pleaded for coal to be sent right away as “all we have left is dirt and that doesn’t half burn.”

Little did she know that 67 years later her words would give life to the title of a sought-after book, “Dirt Don’t Burn,” written by local authors Larry Roeder and Barry Harrelson.

Their story is a riveting narrative of a very difficult period of history that eventually led to triumph over the cultural and legal barriers of racism in Loudoun County. The result was equality of education for all Loudoun children.

As Roeder tells it, “Dirt Don’t Burn” is meant to be the voice of Loudoun’s Black community. It was published last year through Georgetown University Press, which approached its authors to write a book.

Roeder and Harrelson have been busy on the speaker’s circuit. One of their most recent was a presentation in western Loudoun at an alumni event for the Banneker Elementary School’s 75th anniversary.

Reviewers call “Dirt Don’t Burn” an inspiring true story of a Black community that sheds new light on the history of segregation and inequality in American education. Others call it is a gripping portrayal of mostly unknown individuals who created change to lifelong prejudices toward Black Americans.

Praise for “Dirt Don’t Burn” includes a different approach to segregation’s background as a vital part of American history, as well as the shedding of new light upon the backdrop of inequality in America during the Jim Crow and civil rights years.

The book provides an appeal to researchers, lovers of history and descendants of the book’s portrayals, as its base is the experience of Black Americans through a plethora of previously lost records and archival documents, say its reviewers.

Hailed as the first serious study of the impact of segregation on Loudoun County’s Black population, Roeder and Harrelson, his longtime friend, also helped found the Edwin Washington Project, which eventually became the Edwin Washington Society. Roeder is CEO and board chair and Harrelson is special editor to the society. The society originated as a non-profit organization created to preserve and retell the history of Black students in Loudoun County.

The organization grew out of research begun by Roeder in 2012 when he was looking into the history of the Conklin School on land that is now South Riding in eastern Loudoun.

It was named after Edwin Washington, who at age 16 in 1867 was making $5 a month working at a hotel in Leesburg. Washington was given “the privilege of going to school,” in between his work duties. This came to mean that he could not attend school on any type of regular basis. Naming the project, and later the society, in his honor came about as a tribute to the Black citizens of Loudoun County.

“Dirt Don’t Burn” is available through Georgetown University Press, numerous local outlets and Amazon.

Fences

Hill Alums Thrive on Paying It Forward

By Leonard Shapiro

In 1986, the late Reverend Richard Peard gave the blessing at the Hill School’s 8th grade graduation. His words, 38 years later, have provided a backdrop for the entire Hill community. He reminded the students as well as everyone in attendance “Don’t ever give up, and when you find your place in this world remember to help others find theirs.”

As Hill approaches its centennial in 1926, a dedicated group of volunteers stands ready to honor Rev. Peard’s words and to support the institution that has profoundly shaped their lives.

The Hill School offers an education as unique as your child. Come visit our community to learn how our program of Total Education – strong academics and meaningful participation in art, music, sports, and theater – helps build character and confidence in our students and gets them started on the path to being happy, successful adults.

thehillschool.org

Voted Best Private School in Loudoun County for Five Consecutive Years

Front Row: Britton Condon, Lisa Patterson, Reid O’Connor, Jim Herbert, Montana Ruffner. Back Row: Philp Dudley, Dick Kelso, Redmond Manierre, Treavor Lord, Fletcher Slater, Don Woodruff.

“Hill has always been a community school ... And while there are many aspects to this quality, one is the degree to which our alums are members of the Hill community. Once you’ve attended Hill School, you will always be part of the Hill community.” – Head of School Treavor Lord

Comprised of 18 officers and board members, the Hill School Alumni Association Board is deeply involved in numerous projects aimed at supporting the Middleburg community as well as bolstering their alma mater.

The Association contributes funds for Hill’s spring auction/gala -- the school’s major fundraising event of the year -- provides scholarship support for students, and donates to community non-profits (Piedmont Child Care Center, Middleburg Spring Races, and the Seven Loaves food pantry, to name a few).

Philip Dudley, Class of 1986, has been the Association’s president over the last five years. With the office of the financial services firm he owns about a two-minute walk to the campus, Dudley remains close to Hill in every sense.

“When children leave the community, they still miss some of the secret sauce Hill always provided,” he said. “Whether it’s a favorite teacher or the programs they were part of, there’s just something about the years they spent there that they miss. And they don’t know what it is until they leave. We (the Alumni Association) can help them stay in touch.”

Most board members live in the area. They meet

four to six times a year, and virtually all volunteer for a wide variety of fundraising events the association organizes. That would include, for example, the sporting clays competition each April and the annual Hill School golf tournament at Bull Run Golf Club in Haymarket every fall.

“We also try to honor our former faculty members,” Dudley said, adding that last year there was a huge turnout to honor two retired long time beloved teachers, Jack and Sydney Bowers.

Dudley relishes one of his annual presidential duties, his motivational talk to eighth graders on graduation day. And he’s also delighted that John Ralph, an ’86 classmate and owner of a sign shop in Purcellville, has been helping refurbish or replicate Hill’s iconic Christmas decorations, on display all around the village during the holidays.

One of the busiest board members is Montana Ruffner ‘07, who volunteers at virtually all the alumni events.

“Hill School was there to support me at some of the most critical times of my life,” said Ruffner, who owns her own event business and runs Buchanan Hall in Upperville. “I just want to make sure I’m paying it back to the next generation. And I love it.”

Lisa Patterson, Hill Class of 1985, is Hill’s staff liaison between the school and the Association. She estimated that about 1,300 alums are in Hill’s database, a keyboard away from staying connected with their old school.

“We work really hard to honor and represent those who came before us,” she said. “The school wouldn’t be what it is today without them. And no matter what the age group, so many still feel a sense of community, a sense of place they never lose. And they know they can always come back.”

Head of School Treavor Lord explained the importance of Hill maintaining connections with its graduates.

“Hill has always been a community school,” he said. “And while there are many aspects to this quality, one is the degree to which our alums are members of the Hill community. Once you’ve attended Hill School, you will always be part of the Hill community.”

As Hill approaches its centennial, the Alumni Association stands as a testament to Rev. Peard’s timeless words, ensuring that the spirit of giving back and supporting one another remains ingrained in the Hill community.

Piedmont Symphony Nurtures Young Artists

By Peyton Tochterman

The Piedmont Symphony Orchestra (PSO) under the baton of Music Director Glenn Quader has carved a niche not only in orchestral performances but also in nurturing the next generation of musical talent.

The Young People’s Concert, a cornerstone initiative by the PSO, is more than a competition; it’s a testament to the power of music education and the fostering of young talents.

The concert offers a stage for young musicians to vie for prestigious scholarships. These scholarships are not just financial incentives; they represent a unique opportunity for young artists to perform alongside seasoned professionals in a high-caliber setting.

Underwritten by the WISE Foundation and the Phillip Hughes Foundation, it’s grown in significance and provides substantial awards to its top three finalists.

The 2024 competition was held on Feb. 18, at Highland School’s Center for the Arts in Warrenton. The finalists performed live with the PSO under the watchful eyes of a panel of judges. The first-place winner received a $3,000 scholarship; second was awarded $1,500, and the third place received $1,000. These scholarships underscore the competition’s commitment to supporting young musicians in their artistic and educational pursuits.

This year’s winner, pianist Hiroki Matsui of Battlefield High School in Haymarket, amazed the audience and the orchestra with a spellbinding performance of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

Second place went to violinist Ninghao Zhan of Mountain View High School in Stafford County and third was awarded to violinist Alec Martin of Colonial Forge High School in Stafford.

The competition’s rigorous selection process is designed to identify and nurture young musical talent through a three-stage journey. In the preliminary round, upwards of 15 applicants send in recordings meticulously evaluated to select semifinalists.

Those musicians then perform the required repertoire with an accompanist before a discerning panel of judges. Each semifinalist, except pianists, must bring their accompanist, showcasing their ability to perform collaboratively. From this round, three finalists are chosen, marking their path to the final stage.

“The level each year gets better and better,” Quader said. “This year’s winner demonstrated perhaps the highest musical ability of any competitor we have had to date. The first movement is 22 minutes long. And he blew us all away.”

Said Haroki, “winning this event was due to a combined effort from me, my teacher, Dr. Marjorie Lee, my parents, and the PSO orchestra…I started to prepare for this competition about a year ago.  Memorizing the piece took me one month.  After memorizing, I feel like the real music making started. Practice time for this competition included three hours a day, and a month before the competition I turned it up to five to then 10 hours a day.”

Participants select their repertoire, thereby taking control of their musical narrative. This autonomy, coupled with the opportunity to perform with a full orchestra, offers young musicians a rare and invaluable experience.

The competition is as much about learning as it is about winning. Participants receive constructive feedback, enabling young musicians to refine their craft further.

Winning or simply participating opens doors to future opportunities, with many using their achievements as a springboard to attend summer training workshops, furthering their musical education and exposure.

The atmosphere of inclusivity and diversity, coupled with the orchestra’s hospitality and support, creates a nurturing environment for young artists. Some participants return to the symphony as professionals, and even join the board.

As for Haroki, “I’m not sure what’s next,” he said. “I’m constantly trying to improve my playing.  I’ll continue my daily practice routine, and I hope that more doors will open for me to communicate an emotion or feeling to many others.”

On Saturday, April 27 from 5 to 8 p.m., the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra will hold their second annual gala, “Symphony in Bloom” as a critical fundraising event to support their mission of bringing musical excellence to the Virginia piedmont region. Hosted again by Naj and Margriet Langenberg Husain at their Wildcat Equestrian Farm near The Plains and designed by architect David Jameson of Bethesda. Guests will enjoy renowned vocalists Emily Casey and Nakia Verner, performing the famous “Flower Duet” from Lakme and other works from the American Songbook. Tickets are available for purchase online at  https://www.piedmontsymphony.org/spring-gala.

Photo by Paul Warchol Wildcat Equestrian Farm

Pianist Hiroki Matsui, the PSO competition winner.

Trees, Glorious Trees

Celebrate Arbor Day at the Upperville Horse Show Grounds

Photos by dillonkeenphotography.com

The Upperville Colt and Horse Show will celebrate Arbor Day on Friday, April 26. Visitors are welcome, free of charge to see and hear about the magnificent trees that have graced this historic property for 200-plus years--black gum and the iconic oak of the Piedmont.

Learn how a much-needed source of water was discovered through a new method and it now gushes 200 gallons per minute. Please mark your calendars for 11 a.m. that day. Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic and take a self-guided tour under the tree canopy and explore the stream and wildlife habitat. Dogs are allowed but must be leashed and vaccinated.

As the oldest horse show in the U.S. Upperville will celebrate its 171st year from Monday, June 3 through Sunday, June 9. The Arbor Day celebration will take place on the same show grounds the horse show has used for the past 171 years.

The site was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022. It’s one of the most historically intact horse show grounds in the nation. Some of the oak tree canopy actually shaded some Civil War action.

Founded in 1853 as a one-day show to encourage better breeding and care of horses,the Upperville show has grown to a week-long tradition with thousands of equestrian and equine pairs competing in a variety of competitive disciplines. Many of the top equestrians from around the world will be competing, concluding with the $226,000 Upperville Jumper Classic finals.

Details: www.Upperville.com

The tree canopy adds a majestic touch.

A classic White Oak tree on the west side of the main ring.

PAUL DIFRANCO: The Art of Teaching Film and More

By Pat Reilly

Paul DiFranco, who teaches music production and recording technology and film studies at Shenandoah University, puts to the lie the old saw that those who can’t do, teach.

He became a Distinguished Adjunct Assistant Professor only after he had done it all in music and filmmaking over an almost 50-year career. He’s mastered all aspects of music, production, post-production and music supervision for film and TV after starting out writing, playing and pitching songs in the 1970s in the Bronx, N.Y.

Early on, DiFranco instinctively copyrighted his work when selling original songs. Its importance was brought home after one of his biggest hits, number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974, “Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me),” was poached by McDonald’s for advertising a decade later.

He and his co-writers sued and McDonalds eventually settled. During that litigation, he said, he learned about the business side of music from the best copyright attorneys. This sent him off in the more lucrative direction of music publishing, owning and operating several recording studios, including Soho Sound.

He got his break in film when his brother, Philip, who had written a book about director Roger Corman’s work, set up a meeting for DiFranco with the famously thrifty “King of B-Movies” in 1988. Corman’s initial complaint, “Music costs me money,” was DiFranco’s cue to explain that the music the director used in films could make money.

DiFranco was immediately referred to Corman’s production manager, who hired him to create a music department. Within a year, DiFranco helped Corman collect royalties on a slew of abandoned film scores. The title Worldwide Vice President of Music came soon after.

Ironically, if DiFranco had any formal education in filmmaking, it was at the apocryphal “Roger Corman School of Film,” an inside joke among young Corman protégés. Though never nominated for a film, Corman won an Honorary Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 2009 for his overall impact on the industry.

Corman also mentored Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, James Cameron and Peter Bogdanovic. After 11 years with Concorde Pictures, DiFranco graduated to work with Fox Family Channel, ABC, and BET on TV and film projects. He has supervised the music on more than 300 feature films and 200 television episodes.

That serendipity continued after a move east with his wife, long-time Middleburg area resident Elizabeth Rice, to live by the Shenandoah River. Attending a performance at nearby Shenandoah University, he happened to sit next to University President Tracy Fitzsimmons.

She asked what he did for a living. This opened the door to teaching in the School of Arts and Sciences and the Conservatory.

DiFranco has brought film professionals from many disciplines into his classrooms remotely and worked on several commercial feature films with students in Winchester. With his friend, Winchester businessman Steve Nerangis, co-owner of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, he has created opportunities for students to see their work on the big screen.

As he tells students in the first days of class, “You’re about to create your own universe.” With a lot of talent, a sense of adventure and a bit of luck, they, too, may get to do it all.

Paul DiFranco is a professor at Shenandoah University.

Spring Into Maintenance Action

By Tim Burch

Turning the corner from cold winter days to the fresh start of spring, now is the time for spring home maintenance.

Taking steps to inspect your home for winter-related damage, complete or schedule necessary repairs, and reset your home with spring cleaning are essential in maximizing your property value and preventing greater issues down the road. While it’s important to keep up with home maintenance all year, we’re sharing some tips to help keep you and your home on track.

Rain Gutters, Downspouts, Low-Slope Roofs: Inspect these items and carefully remove any accumulated debris. Complete this check four times per year to ensure effective drainage and avoid damage caused by trapped and accumulated water.

Underground Drainage: Ensure that exterior stairwell and underground drains are cleared of debris to prevent overflow and unwanted water infiltration.

Exterior Grading: Inspect the grading around your home’s exterior to keep water and excess moisture away from the structure. Add dirt to settled areas and remove excess mulch to allow water to easily flow away from the house.

Trees, Shrubs and Bushes: Trim these items that surround your home to prevent damage to your roof, windows, and siding.

Wooden Decks, Railings, Steps and Windowsills:

Inspect wooden structures and details and repair damaged pieces, touch up paint or stain, and refinish uneven wooden surfaces.

Patios, Decks, Exterior Siding, Driveways and Sidewalks: Pressure wash these items to renew them for spring by spraying away mold, dirt, algae, and grime. Regular cleanings extend the life of your property by preventing unwanted buildup and preserving the quality of your home.

Windows and Screens: Wash window exteriors and check screens for holes. Disinfect mold where excess moisture has built up in windowsills.

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC):

Have your HVAC systems serviced in both the spring and fall to ensure they are operating efficiently. The system inspection should include changing the filter, adjusting dampers to favor northern–as opposed to southern-exposed rooms, clearing leaves and debris from outside units, checking AC refrigerant, and cleaning the AC condenser.

Other Important Items to Address this Spring:

• Inspect all bathroom caulking and touch up as necessary.

• Clean screens in shower heads and faucets to ensure optimal water flow.

• For your appliances, consult your manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations, which should include steps such as cleaning screens on range hood vents, vacuuming refrigerator coils, replacing water filters, and more.

• Inspect your septic system and clean out the tank every one to three years.

• Inspect washing machine water hoses for cracks and the dryer vent for lint buildup.

Spring has definitely sprung, so time to take care of your house…again.

Tim Burch is a vice president and owner of Middleburgbased BOWA, an award-winning design and construction firm specializing in luxury renovations ranging from kitchens and primary suites to whole house remodels, equestrian facilities, and custom crafted homes. For more information, visit bowa.com.

Every case is different. We will provide a custom strategy to fit the needs of your unique situation. Call today for a consultation.

Tim Burch

Perspectives on Childhood, Education, and Parenting

Be There For Your Child, But Not Too Quickly

“The foolishness of over-protection is apparent as soon as you understand the concept of anti-fragility. Given that risks and stressors are natural, unavoidable parts of life, parents and teachers should be helping (children) develop their innate abilities to grow and learn from such experiences.”

– From The Coddling of the American Mind, (2018) by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

ABy Tom Northrup

bout a decade ago, my younger son gave me a book at Christmas by Nassim Nicholas Taleb called “Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder.”

After unwrapping the gift, I recall thinking how thoughtful of him. Antifragile would likely offer me some new and valuable perspectives.

In my last two ZEST columns, Mike Wipfler, a friend, former colleague, and the father of two young children, has joined me for a conversation. Mike is in the trenches raising children and directing a summer camp.

To recap the recent columns, we discussed Jennifer Breheny Wallace’s ‘Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic and What We Can Do About It.” Wallace’s counsel: parents and schools need to make sure that children feel like they truly “matter,” that at their core the adults in their lives love and care about them without “achievement related” strings attached (e.g. admission to a highly competitive college or making the varsity basketball team). She also emphasizes the importance for children to have meaningful responsibilities both in their home and at school.

Tom: I know we both think that Lukianoff’s and Haidt’s book is excellent—although a better title would be “The Overprotecting” (rather than The Coddling) of the American Mind. The authors make a compelling case that many well-intended parents are unknowingly and unfortunately harming their children’s development by being overly involved in directing their child’s life.

Before reading the book, I hadn’t heard of children being described as “antifragile.” How about you?

Mike: No, I’d never heard the term before, but I hope it finds its way into the lexicon of parents and educators. In my opinion, it’s every bit as important as Carol Dweck’s “growth mindset,” a concept that’s been helpful to parents and teachers in understanding how to motivate children.

Lukianoff and Haidt explain that when Taleb refers to children as “antifragile,” he’s putting children’s emotional coping system in the same category as other bodily systems (such as our immune or our muscular systems). Those are complex systems that “require stressors and challenges in order to learn, adapt, and grow.”

Taleb believes it’s a mistake to treat children as if they’re fragile and in need of constant protection

and safe handling. He argues that overprotective parents mean well, but by shielding their children from discomfort or by solving problems on their behalf, they’re depriving them of the opportunity to develop and strengthen their ability to solve problems on their own.

Instead, he reminds parents their children are by nature “antifragile” and need to deal with age-appropriate doses of stress, disappointment, and discomfort to grow more resilient. When children handle and overcome these difficulties (with measured levels of parental support, primarily listening), they become more confident and independent— essential qualities for both childhood and adulthood.

Tom: Can you give some examples of “stressors”-- challenges that 12-year-old year old children should deal with on their own, where parents are sometimes and unnecessarily inserting themselves?

Mike: Sure. Broadly speaking, 12-yearolds should be given the latitude to manage the normal, expected trials and tribulations of middle schoolers, like disagreements or a falling out with an important friend; mediocre academic performance or disappointment in not being cast for a desired role in a play.

Tom: No question that today’s parents and teachers can and will relate.

When I began teaching over a half century ago, parents were much more laissez-faire and uninvolved in trying to manage these

situations. By and large most parents trusted their children could work through these social and school issues. And, as I reflect on this, their lack of involvement served their children who are now in their 60s and 70s quite well.

I don’t want to sound as if everything was perfect in the “olden days.” I assure you they weren’t, but the challenges were different. That’s the subject for another column.

So how would you say the ideas presented in “Never Enough” and “The Coddling of the American Mind” are similar? And, are they helpful as a parent and educator now?

Mike: Both books explore the ways in which well intentioned parents are intervening in their children’s lives in ways that are detrimental to their children’s healthy development.

I found them helpful. They gave me fresh insight and some valuable reminders. Stepping back when my children are struggling with the routine bumps of growing up is not always easy for me or any parent. But, a better mindset is to embrace these situations to observe how our children respond—less “clearing the path” for them. Giving them the opportunity to build their coping muscles is far better lifetime preparation.

Tom: Thanks, Mike. Well said. One of the principles I’ve found valuable as a parent and an educator is “always be there for your child, but not too quickly.” Taking the time to observe, listen, and reflect before jumping in is usually a good idea.

Mike Wipfler and Tom Northrup

W h e t h e r y o u a r e p l a n n i n g t o r e m o d e l y o u r k i t c h e n , t r a n s f o r m y o u r m a s t e r b a t h , f i n i s h a b a s e m e n t o r b u i l d a n a d d i t i o n , y o u n e e d m o r e t h a n a c o n t r a c t o r . Y o u n e e d a p a r t n e r y o u c a n t r u s t w i t h t h e p o s s e s s i o n t h a t s a y s t h e m o s t a b o u t w h a t y o u v a l u e a n d t h e w a y y o u l i v e .

MODERN FINANCE

It’s All About CRE

By Philip Dudley

One of the hardest hit sectors from the Federal Reserve’s fight against inflation and subsequently the rapid rise in interest rates has been Commercial Real Estate (CRE) and more specifically, office. Three months into 2024, there is reason to be optimistic about CRE and a not too often discussed defensive exposure to express this outlook via CRE debt.

Philip Dudley

The data tells a good story for Global CRE Debt funds as the average Assets Under Management (AUM) has risen by double digits per year since 2019 and CRE investors are looking to add exposure to debt in the current environment.

Why would this make sense? In simple terms, there’s been a divergence in Net Asset Value (NAV) and Net Operating Income (NOI) growth. The substantial increase in cap rates has driven down NAV, but NOI has not followed suit, remaining resilient, and as a result sets up a nice potential total return going forward as cap rates come down with interest rates.

CRE debt has an attractive risk adjusted track record and is a nice diversifier for any well-rounded portfolios, especially for anyone uneasy about CRE under current economic conditions.

One of the benefits of fresh money is the discovery process, as current owners of commercial buildings are forced to sell or mark down the value to refinance. This price discovery is creating an environment where higher credit spreads off higher interest rates has been leading to underwriting loans with very favorable loan-to-value (LTV) ratios at lower values that have been reset.

A typical CRE loan in the current environment might look like this: 55-65 percent LTV with a seven- to ten-year year maturity at 6.25 percent to 6.50 percent, which is up a couple hundred basis points over the last five years.

CRE debt funds are managing risk by lending at these much improved LTV’s. They’re able to pick and choose the assets in favorable markets where CRE trends have held up under pressure due to the local demographics and other factors.

Not to pile on the banks, but traditional lenders have reduced their lending exposure and this has created a funding gap that is rapidly being filled by alternative lenders in the private market space.

Capital always flows where capital is treated best. In this instance, CRE debt has the potential to deliver equity-like returns with less risk because of strong LTV’s and cash flowing collateral. And just a suggestion: these days, it would be wise to avoid San Francisco, Chicago and New York.

Progress Heating Up at New Aldie Fire Facility

By Peyton Tochterman

In the heart of Virginia’s Route 50 corridor, a groundbreaking project is underway that promises to redefine emergency services for the Aldie community.

The $27.37 million, 22,631-square-foot station will be located at 39855

Little River Turnpike near the Gilberts Corner intersection (Route 50 and Route 15). Once constructed, the new station will be utilized by the Aldie Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company and Loudoun County Fire and Rescue personnel.

The construction of a new fire and rescue facility represents not just an upgrade but a transformation in the way the Aldie Volunteer Fire Department (AVFD) serves its community.

Established in 1955 by proactive Aldie residents, the AVFD has been the first line of defense against emergencies in a sprawling 40-square-mile area. Today, the department stands on the brink of a new era with the construction of a state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the area’s evolving needs.

Chief Keith Johnson, a fourth-generation firefighter and Fire Chief of Loudoun County

Combined Fire and Rescue System, said he’s thrilled about the new station.

“We needed our current system to meet national standards,” he said. “How many stations should we have? Aldie is 35.5 square miles with 6,615 residents. When you call us for an emergency, we need to get to your house in a certain amount of time with the right number of people.

“We need to expand our services in Aldie to not just an engine, Heavy Rescue Squad, and an EMS Unit. Our new facility will have a tanker, and all of our units will be staffed independently. Our new station will do just that.”

The new facility is poised to replace the existing Aldie Fire and Rescue Station with a modern infrastructure that speaks volumes for the community’s commitment to safety and efficiency.

The design of this ambitious project reflects a deep understanding of the demands placed on volunteer fire and rescue services today. It includes apparatus bays, a bunk room, training room, and other specialized areas such as a gear and hose drying area and a breathing apparatus air compressor room.

Moreover, the inclusion of restrooms, showers, food preparation and dining areas, laundry and decontamination areas, and a fitness room underscores a holistic view of the welfare of the volunteers who dedicate their lives to serving the community.

In an era when environmental sustainability is increasingly becoming a priority, the project’s ambition to achieve LEED Silver designation illustrates a forward-thinking approach to construction. This initiative not only underscores the commitment to eco-friendly practices but also ensures that the new fire and rescue facility will be a beacon of sustainability within the community.

Funding comes from a mix of general obligation bond, local tax, and lease revenue financing. The groundbreaking ceremony occurred on November 16, 2023 and as construction progresses, the Grand opening is slated for the summer of 2025.

Residents of Aldie and the surrounding areas watch with anticipation. The new facility is not just a building; it is a pledge of enhanced safety, efficiency, and community service, heralding a new chapter in the storied history of the AVFD.

Photo by Peyton Tochterman Aldie Firehouse is a work in progress.

Chief Keith Johnson

Tim Cole and Crew Like to Keep It Clean

By Sebastian Langenberg

If you’ve ever wondered how the village of Middleburg is kept so clean, tidy and seemingly picture perfect, you can thank Tim Cole, the town’s maintenance supervisor.

It’s immediately obvious how much Tim cares about the town and how hard he works to make sure it’s always in tip top shape. If a sign has been bent by a truck—or more likely a horse trailer—he’s on the job right away to get it fixed. He and his crew do it all, from replacing bulbs in the streetlights and lamp posts to cleaning out cigarette and trash receptacles.  “Every day is something different and interesting,” he said. “It’s so cool to see all the faces you grew up with in town; to see everyone you know. Some people have passed away, but you still see their kids.”

Tim, 51, is a true Middleburg native who grew up on Chestnut Street. He’s also spent his entire working life here, the first 27 years at the Middleburg Community Center, the last seven for the town. His father was a builder, so maintenance was an easy career choice for him.

“When I was young, I said I was going to leave town at 18 after graduating high school, but I’m still here,” he said. “Middleburg is like a big family.”

The community center was a natural place to start working, as well. His mother, Joanne, was the MCC’s executive director for 30 years. After so many

years on the payroll there himself, Tim thought he needed a change but didn’t want to leave the area. That’s when he saw the Town’s opening after his predecessor, Marvin Simms, retired.

He’s had countless memorable experiences, including what he described as the craziest one of all—the infamous storm of 2016—when many homes, cars and businesses were badly damaged by golf-ball sized hail.

Other big events that keep Tim and his team busy

include Christmas in Middleburg, The Middleburg Film Festival, Artists in Middleburg and Oktoberfest.

Not only did Tim grow up in Middleburg, he also met his wife, Jocelyn, at a once popular village staple at the now closed Mosby’s Tavern. An equestrian originally from Michigan, she had come to the area to train with the late, great Olympic horseman Jim Wofford. Tim saw her in the tavern, approached her and the rest is history.

“She’s been putting up with me for 25 years,” he said, somewhat incredulously.

Tim has seen countless changes to the town over the years and said, “It’s sad to see some of the old businesses close down, like the Coach Stop and Fun Shop. But it’s amazing to see the new businesses that come to town.”

Post Covid, he’s also noticed a significant uptick in visitors.

“I think people needed to get out and travel because they were locked down,” he said. “And then they came out here and went, ‘wow, where has this cool place been?’”

The influx of new tourists means more clean-up work, but Tim has no complaints because the job is never boring.

“Every day is something different and interesting,” he said. “And all four seasons bring something different.”

Hail sometimes included.

Photo by Sebastian Langenberg Middleburg maintenance supervisor Tim Cole.

It’s Never Too Late to Get Fit

By Mark Nemish

When we imagine what it means to be fit, images of a young, lean, athletic person automatically comes to mind. And while youthful exuberance may tend to be associated with images of fitness, the level of cardiovascular fitness can have life-changing implications for many of us in our middle-aged years and into retirement.

After spending the last threeplus decades managing the health and performance of elite athletes, my experience has always been matched by my love for the science of health and fitness. And what the science of cardiovascular fitness in our 40s to 60s tells us is rather profound.

A 2018 study by Kyle Mandsager and his colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic revealed the importance of having good cardiovascular fitness for those in their mid-50s. From 1991-2014, data was collected on patients who attended the clinic. Each patient underwent a cardiovascular exercise test on a treadmill as part of their stress testing to determine their fitness level—Metabolic Equivalents (METS). The data for the 120,000-plus patients was stratified by age and sex and five levels of fitness were identified: low, below average, average, high, and elite.

At the same time, data on co-morbidities also was collected, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes (T2D), hypertension, high cholesterol, smoking, and end stage renal disease. The patients (average age 53.4) were followed for an average of 8.4 years to determine the rate of all-cause mortality in relation to fitness level and their co-morbidities.

The results were astonishing. When comparing the highest level of fitness with the lowest, subjects in the lowest category of fitness were four times more likely to die during the follow-up period.

The greater the fitness level, the greater the survival advantage. In fact, fitness level was more important than having any of the co-morbidities that were tracked, even end stage renal failure. This data was even more compelling for those in advanced years of life.

The Mandsager study underscores the need to attain increased levels of fitness and maintain those levels as long as possible, even well into your later years. This and other studies also tend to associate higher levels of fitness with generally a healthier lifestyle involving diet, sleep, and reduced stress.

In a society where the “magic pill” to enhance health is sought by many, that remedy appears to be exercise related. Everyone cannot attain elite levels of ageadjusted fitness, but anyone can improve their current fitness level.

It first begins with a mindset of commitment and a desire to achieve. And it’s never too late to start. While it’s not easy for many to kickstart that journey to improving their fitness, it’s definitely something within your grasp and easily modifiable with proper direction and effort.

In the next issue, I’ll discuss a variety of ways to assess your fitness and provide several proven methods to improve your current level of cardio-respiratory fitness and more specifically your Aerobic Threshold through continuous aerobic training and a variety of high intensity interval training (HIIT) methods.

Mark Nemish is the owner and director of Precision Health Performance in Round Hill. He’s spent 30 years managing the health of athletes, including 22 years as head strength and conditioning coach for the Washington Capitals (2007-23) and Nashville Predators (1998-04) in the NHL.

Mark Nemish and the Stanley Cup.

Fauquier Habitat For Humanity Adds SOME LOCAL HERITAGE

By Jodi Nash

More than 1.8 million people in Bangladesh live in informal settlements, according to the country’s 2022 census. The capital city of Dhaka alone has some 5,000 slums, with an estimated 2,000 people a day relocating there, many displaced by rising sea levels and fierce tropical storms.

With no enforceable building code, perilous footpaths, poor sanitation, and inadequate storm water drainage and sewage disposal, the rainy season brings infectious disease from standing water in gullies flooded with garbage and debris. On average 15 households, or 70 people share a single toilet.

Katie Heritage joins Fauquier Habitat for Humanity.

“I’m happy to be back working in Fauquier, where I was active for so long ... I love what I’m doing.”

One four-acre settlement created in 1999 is home to 700 families. It now has access to clean water and is connected to the government’s electrical grid thanks to Habitat for Humanity’s “Home Equals” five-year advocacy campaign.

The program is dedicated to achieving policy changes ensuring the billion people currently living in slums or temporary shantytowns around the world can have access to adequate housing. That in turn, is a powerful catalyst for longer life expectancy, better schooling, and increased economic growth.

For those who think of Habitat for Humanity in purely “domestic” terms, think again. Ignited by a vision that everyone deserves a decent place to live and work, the non-profit began in 1976 as a local grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia.

Developed around the concept of “partnership housing,” it’s now a dynamic leader in all 50 American states, and a serious stake-holder in providing a “hand up” to displaced populations in more than 70 countries. Former President Jimmy Carter was an active Habitat volunteer for close to four decades, hammer in hand and helping to build many Habitat homes.

Habitat partners with corporations (e.g. Wells Fargo, Bank of America), foundations, governments,

philanthropists, NGO’s, academic/research centers, and most crucially the settlement residents themselves. It now has a vast global footprint, devoted to breaking down complex institutional barriers to adequate housing and to altering old power dynamics by building collective cooperation through effective new alliances.

On the local stage, enter Catherine (“Katie”) M. Heritage, Fauquier Habitat’s new director of affordable home ownership, on the job for three months and just home from Habitat’s affiliate conference in Atlanta, Georgia. With 200-plus presenters, 170 workshops, and more than 2,000 attendees from around the world, there was much to learn and many fellow Habitat professionals to network with.

A public servant her whole career, with a law degree from George Mason University, she’s had a 24-year career in Fauquier County government, first as director of court services. She then moved to administration in 2003, becoming assistant to the deputy administrator and later deputy county administrator

In 2021 she became the deputy CEO of Northwestern Community Services serving the City of Winchester and five surrounding counties. She

worked in operations to provide case management and residential/emergency programs for people with emotional/behavioral disorders, mental illness, or substance use and developmental disabilities.

When a reduction in force led to the elimination of that position, Katie was involuntarily retired and restless. “I considered retirement,” she said, “but on a whim I posted a message to Linked In: ‘Retirement’s not for me—I’m bored!’”

From this serendipitous digital “share” came contact with Melanie Burch, president and CEO of Fauquier Habitat. They had lunch and a conversation, and now Katie is happily back at work, acting as a legislative advocate, educator and fundraiser at local, state and federal levels.

She also handles some grant writing, administration, community outreach and cultivating new financial donors and investment sponsors for the organization. Another major focus will be meeting the area’s immediate needs for local workforce housing, so that teachers, nurses, healthcare workers, police and firefighters can afford to live where they work.

“I’m happy to be back working in Fauquier, where I was active for so long,” she said. “I love what I’m doing.”

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A Memorable Horse, And a Movie to Remember

By Louisa Woodville

What’s it like to ride an Olympic ThreeDay Event horse?

“It’s like sitting on top of sheer, raw power,” said Olympic eventer Kim Walnes, reminiscing about her Hall of Fame horse, Gray Goose. “I’ve never sat on another horse with that much life force.”

This temperamental equine did present his owner with some challenges and was not everyone’s cup of tea 40 years ago.

“Despite many bucks and spooks and just plain naughtiness, Kim persevered and succeeded in producing the superstar event horse of the 1980s,” reads the U.S. Equestrian Association website. “Kim had the faith, the love, and the ability to see this horse’s innate talent, develop it, and take him to the very top of the sport, making a legend out of him along the way.”

And now, is history repeating itself?

Eventer Skyeler Voss, head trainer at Morningside Farm in The Plains, appears to be following in Kim’s footsteps. Argyle, her off-the-track, 15-year-old Thoroughbred also called Gyles, is performing the way Gray Goose did four decades ago, galloping over eventing’s most challenging cross-country obstacles and doing it in front of a documentary film crew.

Argyle’s eventing accolades include top honors at the Horse Park of New Jersey’s Advance Horse Trials in June, 2023. And now, that film, The Gray: The Kim Walnes Story, is set to open in early 2025. Skyeler and Argyle play Kim and Gray Goose respectively. The focus is on their legendary ascent to the upper echelons of eventing, leading up to their zenith when they ranked third in the world.

Shanyn Fiske, an English professor at Rutgers University and an ex-eventer, wrote, directed, and produced the film. “It’s a passion project on all our parts,” she said.

The movie also touches upon Kim’s heartbreaking tragedy. Andrea “Andy” Walnes, Kim’s daughter, was abducted and murdered in 1991. Horses have helped sustain Kim, now 75, through that loss, she said.

“The years that followed were full of challenges, and it took three of those years for me to begin to truly come back to a life with feeling,” Kim wrote on her Facebook page, The Way of the Horse. “It took many more long years before I was able to stop identifying myself as the mother of a murdered child, and it wasn’t until 2005 that I realized I needed to make a conscious decision to fully live again.”

Fast forward to early 2023, when Kim and Skyeler’s paths crossed through a notice in Eventing Nation, the sport’s popular website.”

“I had multiple clients tell me about this ad, so I applied,” said Skyeler, referring to a listing seeking an upper level rider who competed intermediate or advanced — on a gray horse.

Despite hundreds of responses, Kim honed in on Skyeler and Gyles after watching a video of their

2022 Land Rover Kentucky Four* performance. The two reminded her of herself and Gray Goose, a rider on top of a keg of dynamite that, if ridden quietly and empathically, could outperform the best of them. She also liked the fact that Skyeler trained with the late, great Olympian Jimmy Wofford, a long-time Middleburg resident. Kim rode with him in the ‘80s.

Last August 14, Skyeler and Argyle found themselves galloping over the same tracks that Kim galloped Gray Goose forty years earlier in Dublin, Virginia. The film crew adjusted their cameras to focus on Skyeler, who wore Kim’s fire-engine red cross-country shirt pulled out of storage for the occasion.

“The most special moment was when I did the first gallop up the big hill towards the film crew,” said Skyeler. “When I reached the top, Kim was in tears. She had not been back to the property in 40 years, and watching us gallop the familiar track brought back all the memories. She said she felt like Gray was there with us.”

Kim was equally effusive.

“After that first gallop, I started sobbing, overwhelmed with emotion,” she said. “I felt connected to Skyeler from the get-go; I was containing all the excitement and joy and doing fine until the two of them galloped up the rise and went past us the first time wearing my cross country shirt, and suddenly it was like I was back on the Gray, overcome by the enormity of all that joy, unity, and the magic of it all. I broke down in happy sobs.”

The next shoot was at Morningside Farm a few days later, when the film crew had Skyeler and Argyle re-enact Gray’s dressage, show-jumping and crosscountry phases. The duo finished by jumping up and down banks into the water.

What furthered the strong tie between Kim and Skyeler is that both women are mothers, drawn to a dangerous sport that takes no prisoners. Skyeler has two girls, 8-year-old Brinley and 15-month-old Ayla, and Kim’s two children were also young when she was competing.

Kim and Skyeler also had talented yet notoriously fractious horses

“No one in their right mind would have ever bought Gyles,” Skyeler said. “It was obvious he had had a rough life on the race tracks….He would rear in the dressage ring, in the start box, in between show jumps on course, and stop from a dead gallop on cross-country rearing in the middle of fields. He would bite, kick, buck, and [to this day] is not the most welcoming face in the barn.”

GrayGoose also had his moments.

“I came off of Gray a lot,” said Kim. “He was not a coordinated horse.”

These days, Skyeler’s future looks bright, not only with Argyle but campaigning other horses as well.

“Argyle will aim for another four-star this year, and I have an exciting young prospect, Nautical 54, who is just beginning his evening career,” she said, referring to Anna Gibson’s Dutch 6-year-old Noah. “I am also hoping to campaign my Grand Prix musical freestyle on Sallie Spenard’s Balance.”

The commonalities that both women share—their resilience and finesse—were best articulated by Kim herself during a speech she made in 2012 during Gray Goose’s USEA Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

“Never give up,” she said that day. “Your dreams are real. Believe in them, and believe in yourself. You can do this; you can make it happen. No matter how many obstacles there are out there, listen to your horses. They have a lot to say.”

The dynamic duo: Skyeler Voss and Argyle.

Gates open at 10am, first race at 1pm.

Virginia Gold Cup sponsors:

Makersmiths: Forging Innovators in Tech and the Trades

By Laura Longley

Ever wonder whether you have the creative chops for, say, metalwork but dodged the challenge for lack of equipment? Since Purcellville opened and expanded its Makersmiths Innovation Forge, there’s now no excuse.

With roots in a nationwide “maker” movement, Purcellville’s industrial-grade facility on Telegraph Springs Road has become western Loudoun’s meeting ground for tech and the trades in addition to their Leesburg location.

Here you’ll find many of the area’s finest woodworkers, metal crafters, potters, and robotics students pursuing their own projects and helping novices with theirs. The draw, of course, is the kind of commercial-quality equipment that’s either too expensive for individuals to buy outright or too large to store at home.

Think of it as a gym, but instead of ellipticals, rowing machines and power racks, it’s outfitted with laser cutters, 3D printers, large format plotters, lathes, routers, forge, paint and powder coating booths, sand- and bead-blasting cabinets, plus picture framing and ceramics studios.

An independent nonprofit, the Purcellville operation is led by unstoppable “makers” like Dave Painter, who helped raise the funds and arrange the equipment donations to launch the facility. But

the dream turning to reality was a bright idea from Purcellville’s former mayor, Kwasi Fraser.

“The mayor—he called us—and he said, ‘I’m really excited about the idea, I want one in Purcellville,” Painter said. “And then he dropped a bombshell and said, ‘Well, I’ve got the perfect space for you, and we really want you to come out and take a look.’”

The space was an unused town maintenance building close to Blue Ridge Middle School. It needed work, but

that wasn’t about to stop Painter and his crew, who rehabbed the structure that opened in 2018.

Two years later, during the pandemic, Makersmiths value would become clear. As Fraser recalled, “When schools shifted to remote learning, one student seized the opportunity to collaborate with the community of makers to build desks for students learning from home. The makerspace also received a donation of hard plastic, which members ingeniously repurposed into face shields for healthcare workers and first responders.”

According to inventor Sloane Scannell, “Anytime we’ve had a problem with something in the makerspace, it seems there’s someone who knows how to fix it. So, it’s just really cool having so many people.”

Painter agreed. “That’s the advantage of an organization like this. You have people with such a variety of life experiences that it’s always easy to find somebody who knows something or knows somebody who knows something and is willing to bring them in.”

Regular individual membership is $50 a month; household membership is $100 a month. Prospective members also must submit the online membership application, agree to follow the rules, and sign a waiver and release of liability form. Use of all the tools is subject to safety and training requirements.

For more details, visit makersmiths.org.

Music Together Spring Session

Photo courtesy Makersmiths has more than 200 members who use the equipment, work in the studio spaces, and take classes.

An Artist at Work: Anne Rowland

By Laura Longley

When you go to Google Maps and search for a place or directions, what do you see in the satellite view? Roads, rivers, rooftops, parks?

Anne Rowland sees things differently—shapes, colors, possibilities for the art she creates by capturing aerial photos online and transforming them into images of Leesburg, Virginia, Emerson, Iowa, Lake Paiku, Tibet, and Sumy Oblast, Ukraine.

Washington, D.C.-born, Rowland earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the joint program at Boston’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University, with additional studies at CalArts.

Her works have been included in countless group and solo shows, and she’s been awarded prestigious residencies and grants, including one from the National Endowment for the Arts. Not until she began visiting Loudoun and Fauquier counties in the early 2000s did she take an interest in landscapes.

“I’ve been making large landscapes since 2002,” explained the Upperville area artist. “At the same time, I started appropriating aerial views from Bing Maps’ “Bird’s Eye View” and Google Maps’ “Satellite View,” both providing imagery of the earth’s surface from airplanes and satellites, respectively. I began close to home, focusing on Loudoun, the nation’s fastest growing county, to show the breadth of development here. My interest expanded.”

So has her output, along with her mastery of the media and the sophistication of the works she calls simply “pictures.”

On a tour of her studio, Rowland detailed her artistic process.

“To create these pieces, I start by making hundreds of computer screenshots from the aerial imagery and then assemble them into a large, legible, and coherent digital landscape in Photoshop. This base layer serves as a foundation from which to extract and alter. It’s all completely improvised and unplanned.”

She shared her screen to demonstrate her basic technique.

“I mold and reshape the imagery as if stirring with a spoon with big, sweeping gestures, drawing with the geographic forms, painting with the imagery itself,” she said. “Because the aerial imagery available is just ‘capture’— processed through software and presented online, neutral—we see both the natural world and the human interventions made on it. There’s no foreground, no background. It’s like a giant flatbed scan of the world.”

To repurpose these machine-made images into something more expressive, Rowland scrolls around looking at random locations. A few early places, she admitted, were predetermined. Santa Clarita, California, which has been massively developed, was a must. So was a location just east of Corona, New Mexico, where the wreckage of a military reconnaissance balloon was thought by some to come from an alien spaceship.

“I mean how can one resist?”

Reviews of Rowland’s spring 2023 solo show at the Hemphill Artworks in Washington, D.C., connected her work to fine art.

“The artist’s energetic manipulation of the imagery evokes the artistry of painting and the way painting generates meaning,” observed Washington’s East City Art.

“Photos generally show us something real,” Rowland said. “There is a singular moment in time, an identifiable subject contained within the rectangle. Usually, there is perspective. These pictures function as a conversation between photography, software, and painting.”

Photo by Peter Bross Anne Rowland’s work at her 2023 solo show at Hemphill Artworks in Washington, D.C.

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Baby BOOM

Oh Boy!

We welcome the following—all boys by the way—with open arms.

Sebastian and Sophie Langenberg welcomed their second son, Felix Francis Langenberg, on January 8, 2024. He weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces. Big brother Berend Langenberg (age 3) is thrilled with his new best friend.

Jan.

Aleks and Eric Johnson welcomed identical twins (left) Welles Croft Johnson and McLean Aleksandrs “Lane” Johnson. They arrived on

8, 2024, with Welles (left) weighing in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces and brother Lane at 6 pounds, 4 ounces

Eloise Repeczky and Will Nisbet welcomed William “Alexander” Nisbet III on February 13, 2024 at 7 pounds, 5 ounces.

Kristin Dillon Johnson and Jeffrey Tyler Johnson welcomed Jeffrey Tate Johnson October 11, 2023. 8 pounds, 13 ounces. Photo by Tiffany Dillon Keen, who shares the same birth date.

Tina Wallace: A Woman of Love and Faith

By Tameshia Warner

For Tina Wallace, the most beautiful sounds of all are the giggles of children of all ages as she drives a bus for three different Loudoun County schools and for The Hill School’s Team Saturday program.

A Middleburg native, she’s one of 12 children who grew up in the little yellow house near the fire department on Windy Hill, the daughter of Andrew and Catherine Robinson. She attended Middleburg Elementary, Loudoun Valley High School and NOVA, where she studied to be a paralegal and earned a two-year associate’s degree.

She was working in that field when a friend told her that Loudoun was looking for school bus drivers. She was intrigued, studied to become fully licensed and has been driving the bus ever since for the last 17 years. Tina also has two adult children of her own—Shaneka Robinson and Marcus Wallace—four grandchildren and a god-daughter.

Her day starts at 4 a.m. and she’s out the door at her home in St. Louis and on the bus by 5:15 every morning. She drives students to and from nearby Banneker Elementary, Blue Ridge Middle School and Loudoun Valley High—four hours in the morning, four in the afternoon and occasionally two hours mid-day for special needs children.

“I love driving the bus, especially my kindergarteners,” said Tina, 61. “I’ve had the funniest

And this is what Tina has learned from her own observations.

“Kids like structure and discipline, if given in a loving way,” she said. “I have let my kids know, from the time they get on the bus, how I expect them to act. And when they don’t behave properly, I talk to them in a quiet but a stern voice. I talk with other people’s kids the way I would expect them to talk to mine.

“I find that children respect you when you respect them. I say good morning and have a good day or good evening to every child when they get on and off. At the beginning of the year, some say it back, some don’t. By the end of the school year, 95 percent will say it to me before I even have a chance to say it to them.”

A member of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church in Upperville and a huge fan of Pastor Phillip Lewis, Tina described herself as “a strong woman of faith…I love people and I love my church family.”

She also loves driving that school bus.

“I’ve been around children all of my adult life,” she said. “I have so many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews and even some great-great nieces and nephews. All of the children I’ve come in contact with pretty much know I love them all.”

times with them. One time I was off for about two or three days and when I came back, one of my kindergarten girls said, ‘Mrs. Tina, did you take a bath?’ I asked her, ‘Why? Do I smell?’ She said she asked because ‘that was the same shirt you had on the last time I saw you.’ I can’t remember what I wore yesterday, much less two or three days ago. But they observe everything.”

Spring into a new season with a revitalized kitchen!

Photo by Tameshia Warner Tina Wallace

From The Common Tote: What could be more appropriate?

SHOPPING AT UPPERVILLE JUNE 3-9

By Vicky Moon and Jennifer Webster

There’s an expression in sports: I went to an ice hockey game and a heavyweight fight broke out. How about this? I went to a horse show and a shopping spree broke out.

During the seven days of this year’s Upperville Colt & Horse Show, an outdoor shopping mall with 70 vendors will unfold on the historic grounds. Everything thing from denim to diamonds…a hat (either for shade or fashion)…riding boots or dress shoes…even a baby gift.

The Calvert Collection from Haverford, PA will include home décor, jewelry, clothing and handbags such as The Isabella Multi Print shirt.

J. Wilder Imports from Short Hills, NJ has Kilim shoes and bags, Argentinian belts, bags, dog accessories. Fairfax and Favor from the UK: upscale footwear and handbags. (The Princess Royale and Zara Tindall are regular customers.)

UPPERVILLE COLT & HORSE SHOW FACTS

• 171 YEARS--the oldest horse show in the country

• 1,800 ENTRIES--horses and riders from 40 U.S. states and around the world

• 30,000+ FANS—on site and following the live feed

• 1,400 HORSES—on site, with riders, trainers & grooms buying supplies all week

• 70 VENDORS--high-end tack & lifestyle displays, including jewelry, clothing, food & beverages

Gail Guirreri

Maslyk is an artist who has expanded her work to include hand painted fashions.

Savenac 1821 of Lynchburg VA has several collections of themed gold and silver equestrian jewelry pieces, The French Boutique in Richmond VA offers fine apparel for women and of course, Dubarry Ireland, with fine togs and outerwear for countryside living, is very popular.

Tamara Makris is the designer and founder of Italian made bags from Lauracea. Acacia House from Millbrook, NY has upscale safari plantation style home goods and accessories and Kashmir Moon from New Delhi via New York City offers wearable art, rugs, and tapestries.

The Common Tote from suburban Washington has handmade tote bags, wristlets and wallets. The Silver Peacocks from Pinehurst, NC will have vintage jewelry and silver. Karina Brez Jewelry, located on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, FL, will offer custom designed, equestrian themed jewelry. Middleburg’s own Chloe’s offers upscale women’s apparel and Le Equus Signet fine jewelry.

Enise Jewelry from Washington is said to be a favorite of well-known celebs Katie Couric, Robin Roberts, Christiane Amanpour and Dionne Warwick. Virginia based The Pink Boutique, has whimsical and colorful fine fashion for women.

And then we have artists Sharon Lynn Campbell and Gail Guirreri Maslyk, who are

• $600,000 in Purses --one week of tough competition ends with a $226,000 International Grand Prix

sharing a booth. Gail has lived in Northern Virginia Hunt Country since 2008 and been in Virginia since 1983. “I had always wished we would end up in Virginia horse country,” she said.

She’s been painting in oil since 1988 after two years of drawing at Virginia Tech’s art school. “My professors were varied and very well known in their fields setting the bar high in drawing, unique style and radiant color application,” she noted, adding that she “feels” the color and strokes.

“I’ve always painted fast and from a subconscious process. The knowledge to keep up with my brush is always improving. I use a different limited palette depending on how I feel or what I see in the countryside daily. Like the landscape, one must experience art in person. It should change your mood when you walk in the room.”

Such is the case for her latest work on fabric, a stunning summer garden party number in rich vibrant colors of blue and green. Special fabric and paints are necessary. “Painting on fabric closes the loop in my interests,” she told ZEST.

From The Calvert Collection: The Isabella Multi Print.

It Was Back to the Future at Cheltenham CUP

By Sean Clancy

Four years. Four long years. Different this year. Very different. A tear or two welled into my eyes as I hugged Candida Baker. And then George Baker. Outside Terminal 2 at Heathrow on a tranquil sun-filled Sunday morning. Four raucous days at the Cheltenham Festival in the books (the liver and the bank, too).

“You have made such a difference in my life…”

We squeezed a final “it’ll-be-anotheryear” embrace and Candida turned to the passenger door of her Range Rover.

“You’re going to make me cry…”

We have made the journey to see the greatest steeplechase racing in the world for 20 years. Or so. Not quite consecutively. But certainly thoroughly. And from all over the map. Empty houses, friends’ homes and a few early hostels, trying to fall asleep before the snorers.

Four years ago, I hugged George and Candida in front of a different terminal, rain pelting off our shoulders as we hugged one last time. Wondering if it could be the last time, should we be hugging, should we have gone racing, should I be flying? Covid – declared a pandemic during the 2020 Cheltenham Festival – was descending, had descended. I had a few tears that day, too. Tears of gloom. Tears of dread. Tears of fears.

The airports were somber, sad, chaotic and confused. A few wore masks, laughable, ludicrous, I thought. The world as we once knew it was over, at least for a while.

I boarded a plane home, watched any reality-deflecting comedy I could find on the plane ride, landed at Dulles Airport and was fed like scraps down a disposal into a line at customs. The man next to me had been to France and Italy. The woman behind me, Japan. Another guy, Germany, as he coughed, and we winced. An older woman’s suitcase fell over, three of us reached to grab it and then we stopped and stared. She struggled to pick it up and was more comfortable with her hands on her luggage than any of ours. I knew we were in trouble.

I called an Uber for the 45-minute drive home. We drove in silence; I wondered if I

They were off and jumping at Cheltenham.

was giving him this crazy thing that none of us understood. I was hoping it wasn’t his last fare. I arrived at the farm, to my family, miffed that I went and manic that I was coming home. It wasn’t much of a homecoming. I dropped my luggage at the door.

Back then, there weren’t tests, weren’t vaccines, certainly wasn’t a roadmap on what to do. I quarantined in the guest room for two weeks. We waited. I checked my temperature. Texted George and Candida to see if they were OK. I was fine. We were fine. I worked in the garden, walked around the farm, went for a run or two. It was a staycation of a lifetime. Other than the closing cloud of the unknown.

We survived that. Nobody got Covid. Of course, we’ve had it since. Once or twice, but who’s counting any more?

I watched a limited-attended Cheltenham from our Middleburg couch the following year. A more-attended one in 2022 and a packed one in 2023. It was brutal to watch.

Actually, there was no fear, I was missing out. George and Candida and my other Cotswolds friends texting, calling and WhatsApping me after every big jump, big score, big finish. We Zoomed a round of Guinness, talked about our picks, dissected the races. Golfers have Augusta. Tennis

players, Wimbledon. And steeplechase diehards have Cheltenham.

Four years. Four long years. And I was back. A lot of water under the bridge. Masks, lockdowns, tests, sanitizers, quarantines under Cleeve Hill, too.

This time, we once again celebrated the sport. Twenty-seven races over four days. In the rain and wind, the sun and splash, over hurdles and fences, on the old course and the new course.

Irish trainer Willie Mullins dominated with nine wins, including his 100th career victory at Cheltenham, a record up there with Beamon and Ripken. Galop Des Champs joined the few and brave with his second Cheltenham Gold Cup triumph. Mullins’ first-call Paul Townsend was crowned leading jockey, the pressure ricocheting off his soft hands and long hold through four days in a cauldron. A few little guys – trainers Jeremy Scott and Fiona Needham – punched over their weight and defined their careers.

Friday night, after four days of sport, we drank the last drops of champagne and talked about the years after Covid. Mandatory lockdowns and mindless quarantines. Life in Paris. Life in Rio. Life in London. Life in Middleburg.

Four years. Four long years.

MARK YOUR

DINNER & A DOCUMENTARY WITH PICNIC BASKETS FROM SOME OF OUR AREA’S BEST RESTAURANTS ON THE MIDDLEBURG COMMUNITY CENTER AMPHITHEATER LAWN

FOR TICKET INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT

DOCWEEK MIDDLEBURG

TOM FOSTER

It began in 2020 and now, four years and five events later, DocWeek Middleburg has become an essential date on the calendar. This year it runs from Tuesday, May 14 through Saturday, May 18.

The board of directors consists of five people, each bringing a unique vision to the table. And, the most impressive fact about this Fab Five is that they always agree on every film chosen for the final showing. They all have to watch each film for the final process under consideration to be shown, and the final vote must be a unanimous yes.

DocWeek Middleburg begins with an option for pre-purchased picnic supper from a local restaurant at 7 p.m. and films at sunset around 8:15 p.m.  “We show only one film per night,” said festival founder Tom Foster. “So our community is truly having a single shared experience, unlike traditional festivals where many films are offered at the same time.”

Tom was a board member of the Chicago Media Project (CMP) and first hosted an event known as “Doc5” in Middleburg. It began during Covid and was presented on the lawn in the mini amphitheatre at the Middleburg Community Center. He divided the seating spaces with hula-hoops.

Now known as DocWeek Middleburg, Tom said, “Documentaries can take us all to corners of the world and human behavior that we simply wouldn’t be otherwise exposed.”

His favorite Doc of all time is David Attenborough’s “A Life on Our Planet.”

“It’s a riveting film, both beautiful and disturbing to watch,” he said. “So important.”

His favorite part of serving on the board are his fellow board members:  Anne Clancy, Jason Vickers, Joan Faville Ramsay and Robert Dove. “We each bring different talents and skill sets to this DocWeek Middleburg. We have a fantastic time pulling it together.  None of us could do it alone and we all love doing it as a team.  It’s a magical group.”

Meet the others…turn the page

“We’re living in unprecedented times of polarization. I’m a believer that we all have many more in things in common with each other than we do differences. DocWeek Middleburg is one simple way to bring our community together to bond over good food, good wine and the magic of movies”

—Tom Foster

Photo by Doug Gehlsen of Middleburg Photo

MEET THE OTHERS

ANNE CLANCY

As many young women have done for many years, Anne Clancy first came to Middleburg at age 16 to satisfy the bug that bites many…horses.

“I moved here in 1985 to train with Tad Coffin, our 1976 Olympic Gold medalist for 3-Day Eventing,” she recalled, adding that she initially intended to return to her hometown in Birmingham, Alabama. “But I talked my parents into allowing me to stay another season. One season turned into another, and I never went home.”

She’s a 1991 graduate of New York University as a literature major. Documentary film was a natural fit. The first year of the film festival, she attended as a guest during the pandemic. She defined it as “a needed interaction, and the films were excellent.”

She also shared Tom Foster’s enthusiasm for documentary films. Then, he asked her to serve on the board. They agreed to introduce an opportunity to meet friends and discuss important issues while enjoying good food and wine. Anne Clancy coordinates the food and wine for the event. Her input includes working on the details for the boxed dinners available for pre-purchase from local restaurants in an al fresco gathering. The festival concludes with a seated dinner on Saturday evening inside for sponsors and guests.

“I do a lot of juggling,” Anne added. “A 30-year career with Taylor Harris Insurance Services, Riverdee Stable, DocWeek Middleburg, riding every day, a wife and mother. But I still find time to sing Billie Holiday and yodel like Louis Armstrong. It’s a great life.”

JASON VICKERS

From age five, Jason Vickers grew up in Winchester. Following college at the University of Mary Washington with a degree in business, in 2000 he moved to Los Angeles as a tennis professional with aspirations of making it in Hollywood in the entertainment business.

“I realized, through many failed auditions, I was more likely to succeed behind the scenes if I were to do anything in the entertainment world,” Jason recalled. He then went east to New York City in 2006 and became a personal assistant to Academy Award-winning actress Renee Zellweger.

Six years later, he turned toward talent management and in 2012, started JV Management, with clients in film, television, music, and fashion for almost a decade.

“During that time my interest in documentary films started to develop,” Jason said. “I enjoyed films where I actually learned something as opposed to mega blockbuster films.”

He moved to Middleburg in 2018, and took over as COO of the family business, the OakCrest Companies in Winchester. He heard about the Middleburg Doc event and thought he’d be able to lend some of his knowledge and experience in the film world by getting involved. He met Tom Foster, who suggested he join the festival’s board

“I happily said ‘Yes!’ and the rest is being written,” he said. “I think we’ve really developed a unique, small-but-mighty film festival for our town, and I couldn’t be more proud.” He focuses on technology. So, in addition to helping procure films to show for DocWeek, he also oversees ticket sales, website design and implementation each year.

“I’d say the most difficult part of being on the board is narrowing the hundreds of incredible documentary films that are released each year down to only five. It’s by far the hardest task we have every year.”

His favorite documentary is “Grey Gardens” because “it mixes a lot of what I love,” he said. “History, politics, legacy, with a touch of fame.”

Photos by Doug Gehlsen of Middleburg Photo

JOAN FAVILLE RAMSAY

Joan Faville Ramsay, a nonagenarian, brings a lifetime of enviable experiences and knowledge to DocWeek Middleburg. She grew up in San Francisco, frequented the Getty Museum, went to Stanford and studied history and is a devoted “movie buff.”

She covets being involved with a serious event with interesting films where guests and patrons learn. “This is what I want to provide, a new viewpoint on film,” she said. An example would be Lizzie Gotleib’s “Turn Every Page” shown in 2003.

She met Tom at a dinner party in Middleburg. “He expressed interest in film and we became friends, he knew I was a movie buff,” she recalled.

Like the others on the board, she enjoys the camaraderie and considers them all erudite.

in five different countries: Northern Ireland, London, Paris, Dakar, Senegal and Nouakchott, Mauritania.

this season,” she concluded.

TUESDAY, MAY 14- SATURDAY, MAY 18

ROBERT DOVE

Robert Dove brings a background in finance as a member of the board for Doc Five Middleburg, specifically his experience in financing infrastructure.

“An example,” he said, “is the renovated service plazas in Connecticut that I negotiated with the state as a PPP (public-private partnership) while I was at Carlyle.”

Now retired and living in Marshall, he said the area reminds him of “parts of the English countryside.” As for documentary films, he added, they “bring the opportunity to learn something as well as being entertained.”

Robert joined the board three years ago as treasurer and to help create a legal structure around DocWeek Middleburg as a 501c3 entity with a bank account and accounting firm.

“We are a cohesive board where everyone has a different skill set which results in very little overlapping of responsibilities,” he said. “In addition, the challenge every year is to find documentaries that will meet our objectives of entertaining and provoking conversations in the community.”

Beyond DocWeek, he likes to watch crime mystery series he finds on different streaming platforms.

His all-time favorite documentary?

“That’s a difficult question,” he said. “Recently the documentary “Ronnie’s” we showed a couple of years ago about Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London must be one of my favorites and it was a successful evening. It’s led to DocWeek always trying to find one doc related to music each year.”

PROPERTY Writes

HISTORIC HITCH HOLLOW FARM

GOES WAY BACK

Historic Hitch Hollow Farm in Linden is offered for sale for the first time and was established by English Charter. The current owner is a direct descendant of the original Downing family that has owned the gorgeous property since the 1700s.

The view from high above.

The spacious living room with a wood burning fireplace. Plenty

Once a 5,500-acre estate, this 408-acre farm is currently in four parcels. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it offers a wonderful mix of rolling hills, fenced pastureland, and woodlands, with four ponds, and scenic views in all directions.

In addition to the magnificent main residence, there are two tenant houses, one of which was the historic 1800s schoolhouse. It’s now a two-bedroom, one-bath home with a swimming pool. The other tenant house has three bedrooms and one bath and now serves as the farm manager’s home.

A gated entry and cameras provide additional privacy to the brick and stone main residence. Built in 1986, this home is sited high up, the better to enjoy the spectacular views.

There are many recent renovations, including new kitchen cabinetry, granite countertops, and appliances, new laundry machines, new carpeting in all three bedrooms, and the replacement of three of the four HVAC units.

Throughout the living area of the main level, the flooring is 12-inch wide plank oak flooring, reclaimed from a 150-year-old barn. Immediately to the left is the library, straight ahead is the spacious living room with wood burning fireplace, which is adjacent to the formal dining room.

To the right of the foyer is the family room with fireplace equipped with wood burning stove, the country kitchen, the laundry room, and the sunroom. The kitchen also has access to the two-car attached garage which has a finished room above that would be perfect for an office. To the left of the foyer are two bedrooms, each with a private bath.

This home is primarily one-level living, though the upper level features the spacious primary bedroom suite and an unfinished room for a another potential bedroom or study.

Hitch Hollow Farm is highly suitable for both horses and cattle, and is located across Fiery Run Road from the 4,200-acre Marriott Ranch.

Hitch Hollow Farm

Linden, Virginia

Price: $5,250,000

Agent: Will Driskill, Thomas & Talbot

wdriskill@thomasandtalbot.com

The thoroughly modern kitchen with upgrades all around.

The main house from the front lawn.

The farm has over 400 acres, and plenty of room for cattle and horses.

LETTER from PARIS

It’s The Least We Can Do

We’ve worked with our friend and ZEST columnist John Sherman and his wonderful writing in some way or another for more than 40 years. The now-retired founder, along with his wife, Roma, of the original Ashby Inn, kindly collected some of his earlier musings that appeared on ads for the Inn and letters to its legion of patrons going back to the 1980s. With his blessing, of course, we’ve gone back and extracted some gems from his memorable body of work, and will continue to do more of the same in future editions, as well. As many of his writings ended, “It’s the least we can do.”

The holidays are over. The folks are back safely in Palm Springs. The last silver streamer has been pulled down.

No sense in lamenting financial balances (yours or Washington’s). Forget clever conversation. January is for misanthropes.

We understand. At the Ashby Inn, you don’t have to glitter. You don’t even have to speak. (Write your name on a slip of paper at the door.) We’ll give you a quiet table. Pour a healthy glass. Menus. Deep, warm, comforting dishes.

So fold up your TV trays for an evening (Armageddon will wait). Drag your funk to the Inn. We understand. (For the high of spirit we can scare up a bottle of bubbly and a dented tiara.)

It’s the least we can do.

Beginning about now flows a series of foods, whose appeal is as much brevity as taste. With expectancy running high, they appear in the markets with almost a shyness, then build in boldness—and quickly disappear. Like spring romance.

At the head of the short, delicate procession come shad roe and asparagus. Sautéed in butter, the roe is crossed with two thick slabs of apple cured bacon and served on a bed of braised greens. Very simple.

We wedge asparagus into every corner of the menu. Asparagus soup with herbed croutons. Steamed asparagus, wrapped in Italian prosciutto and drizzled with a fine vinaigrette and chopped egg. Asparagus, quickly, sautéed with shallots and garlic, and served with roasted leg of spring lamb.

As for the next in this fleeting parade, we’ll ring you up when the soft shell crabs arrive.

It’s the least we can do.

For the true Virginians, who haven’t been drawn off the overcrowded beaches or lured  to the rail at Saratoga—we’re here. Quietly tending to our basil and tomato patch. Watching the perennial gardens change bloom—and the mist roll over the ridge.

Not much shaking in Paris. Perhaps a few strains of Edith Piaf on Bastille Day. St. Swithin’s Day follows. (Legend has it that rain on that day guarantees 40 or more straight rain days. Bring it on.) Every once in a while, we shoo a few loose cows from the backyard.

About the only real energy is in the Ashby kitchen..

Eric Stamer Is doing some very bright stuff this month. A gazpacho from our own garden. Delicately fried calamari with a tempura sauce. A ceviche

of sea scallops with mango. Simple pastas dancing with shrimp, roasted red pepper, kitchen garden herbs, perhaps.Calamata olives. Swordfish with tomato and cilantro salsa. Ashby Inn jumbo lump crabcakes. Grilled pork loin with pepper. Onion relish. Rack of lamb. And berries. Blue and red. With homemade ice creams.

It’s the least we can do (for those who remain behind).

January, 1993

It’s hard to pitch romance. Even on St. Valentine’s eve. There’s the classic soft sell: a corner table next to the fire with some real mellow Sinatra. Or rank hyperbole: “one bite from our flaming Cherries Jubilee and her heart will leap across the table.”

The fact is there aren’t enough romantics to go around the table. We know too many today who would take a good marathon over a flute of Roederer Brut. Guys who weep over Tosca but regard Châteaubriand for two as too high in protein. Romantics have their odd and secrets spots. (Myself, I’m a sucker for two lovers in a long, slow motion run to embrace—usually in airports. Roma falls for the quiet joy of making the mortgage payment.)

So we are appealing to people of all persuasions easily seduced by flickering lamplight and a first rate dinner. If you can’t make it on Sunday, but still harbor a bit of romance, call ahead and we’ll sprinkle some leftover candy hearts over

July 2002

The big red tiller moves through the garden, throwing rocks to the side. Through the summer, amidst the rubble rise shards of ceramic and glass— ard confetti of our forbearers. Some deep indigo, chocolate, or a simple eggshell. Others with the remnants of patterns—stripes, flowers, scallops. Some roughly glazed, others smooth. Glass triangles of purple, blue, russet and green—a letter here and there. And larger finds: a five-inch piece of a metal sign with the word “round “ painted black, in 19th century script. A crude iron stirrup. A gate latch. A belt buckle. A small clear glass bottle.

Not just from one garden, but five—and over as many acres.

Who were these people? Why did they pitch their crockery and bottles so?  Was it some rural art form? Or the remains of a Breakage Day celebration? Did a whole village sit out on their rocking chairs, first chucking bottles of beer and jugs of corn liquor, then stashes of medicines, and finally full chamber pots? This kaleidoscope of intemperance.

Had the Inn been open, we would have surely provided a fireplace and crystal snifters for those so inclined.

It’s the least we could have done.

WHEN YOU INSIST ON THE BEST, CALL ON THE BEST

435 acres

oakendale

$19,600,000

The Plains – Oakendale Farm, ca. 1938 is the epitome of an exquisite Horse Country Estate with meticulously manicured gardens, grounds, dependencies and hundreds of acres with protected viewsheds, Oakendale is in a class of its own.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

delaplane manor

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$3,900,000

Delaplane – Built for Channing Delaplane, Jr. in 1921, the manor house is exquisite and beautifully sited. Located within the Crooked Run Valley Rural Historic District. 10 BRs, 6 1/2 BAs. Behind the house are a pool, barns, paddocks and mature woodlands.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

zachary taylor hwy.

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Flint Hill – Gorgeous rolling land with spectacular views! VOF Easement allows a permanent single family dwelling, a secondary residential dwelling and nonresidential outbuildings, etc. Cannot be further divided.

Julia O'Regan | 202-468-0751

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huntland

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Middleburg – Restored to its early 1900’s glory when owned by a founding member of American Foxhound Club and Master of Piedmont Fox Hounds. Huntland is not just a name, but the very essence of the estate.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

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littleton farm hidden trail

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Upperville – Premier estate includes 2 horse barns with a total of 29 stalls, 3 feed rooms, tack rooms, riding ring with competition footing, beautiful ride-out. Agent is related to Owner.

Julia O’Regan 202-468-0751

Cricket Bedford 540-229-3201

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John Coles | 540-270-0094

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White Post – Built in 1791 and located south of Route 50 in a beautiful area of the county. 2 Parcels: 30 acres w/house, and 54+ acres with 1 DUR–this parcels is open and flat, presenting an opportunity to build your dream horse facility.

Cary Embury | 540-533-0106

lucky hit leeds manor rd.

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Markham – The stone residence is charming; the mountain views are magnificent! Beautiful flowering shrubs and trees will bring glorious color in the spring. This is a stunning property, where one can find peaceful enjoyment in nature.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

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chailey

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Purcellville – 18th century log and clapboard home which through the years has been restored and expanded. Enjoy the quietude of rural life with the convenience of nearby western Loudoun's charming villages and towns.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

quanbeck lane

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Middleburg – This 4 BR home is very livable and would make a great hunt box in Middleburg Hunt territory. 4-stall barn, tack/laundry room, wash stall, hay loft and storage. There is also a 2-stall run-in shed. Great ride out potential!

Julia O'Regan | 202-468-0751

magnolia farm

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$2,350,000 The Plains – Minutes from Middleburg in prime Hunt Country and surrounded by large estates protected by easements. Charming home with a first-floor BR and 3 BRs on the second level. Also: 3 stall barn, 1 bedroom apartment and 2 offices.

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north jay street Offers

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Middleburg – Gorgeous, corner townhouse in prestigious Steeplechase Run. Enjoy luxurious, care free, country living less than an hour’s drive from Washington, DC. Walk to shops, galleries and restaurants–enjoy all the historic village has to offer.

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